The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Redux
by Zmaster26
Summary: Tom and his friends Max and Charlie love to play The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time. But what happens when Tom and his friends end up getting trapped in the game world itself? Will they be able to act brave and survive the trials of Ocarina of time for real? Please rate and review. Nintendo owns Ocarina of Time.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Tom and his friends Charlie and Max just got out of school for the summer. They were the same age of 10 and they were inseperatable. Tom was a short black haired kid with a good sense of humor. Charlie was a tall kid with curly red hair. He was always getting called "Red" because of his hair. Max was a blonde haired kid with glasses. He always had an answer for almost everything.

They did everything together like studying for tests and going hiking and bike riding. When they weren't seen biking together, they were usually playing video games at Tom's house. Tom's Mother was always getting after the three of them for playing video games and she thought they should do something more worthwhile like go for a walk or ride bikes in the forest.

Tom's mother frowned at Charlie and Max.

"Why don't you guys go for hike or something? It's too nice out to be sitting in front of that tv! What am I going to tell your parents when they return form their business trip to Florida? What will they say if I tell them that you two were spending your summer vacations playing video games all the time? I don't want to tell them that. Please listen to me, boys!"

"You know, she's right. I don't want my parents getting me in trouble. Besides, we've played The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time how many thousand times? Let's go for a walk!"

Max stood up and stretched. "Yea I could use some Excersice myself. I don't want my folks to get mad at me either. So let's go on that walk!"

Charlie stood up from the blue couch he was sitting on and took the nintendo 64 controller from Tom and set it on the floor.

"Let's go, Tom! Let's go and take a nice relaxing walk through the forest!"

He and Max ran out the front door, eager to go for a hike.

"Alright. I was starting to get a little bored anyway. Besides, we can always finish this game later."

Tom saved his game. He was almost finished the game. He had all of the medallions and he was in Ganondorf's tower. He shut his nintendo 64 off and ran outside to join his friends who were anxious to get their walk underway.

Tom, Charlie and Max were walking in the forest admiring the weather and the beauty of nature. There were birds chirping all among the different trees. Greenwood Forest had a lot of different trees ranging from Maple, ash, and oak trees to cherry, birch and alder taking a long walk, Tom's friends started to walk home. Tom waved at them as they got further away. Tom thought they were great friends to have. They always helped him with whatever he needed and they were good and trustworthy.

Tom was on his way back home when he saw a strange green glow coming from the forest. Intrigued by it, he went to investigate. When he arrived at the glowing area, he soon discovered that it was a very deep looking hole. Tom got closer to take a look down the hole when he suddenly started to feel very dizzy. His vision started to blur and everything went black.

End of Chapter


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Tom wasn't sure if he was awake or dreaming. He was standing in a field and it was nighttime. Tom started to look around and he tried to figure out where exactly he was. This field didn't look anything like the fields around Greenwood Forest. Suddenly, Tom heard a load groaning noise. He turned around and saw a drawbridge open in the distance. Tom walked toward the drawbridge and just as he got there, he heard thunder overhead and it started to rain heavy. Tom Looked across the drawbridge to see where it went when he almost got hit by a white horse. The horse was carrying a young girl and a adult woman. The young girl had beautiful blue eyes and she was wearing a very pretty dress. She looked at Tom almost fearfully. Her eyes were full of concern. The adult woman had hazel eyes and she looked like she was in some sort of fight. She had bruises and cuts all down both of her arms and her left shoulder appeared to be bleeding. As they galloped off into the distance, Tom watched them go. He heard a snort behind him and when he turned around he saw an evil looking man on a black horse. The man's yellow eyes pierced into Tom's. The Man began to speak, but something was weird. His voice was very high pitched and he kept saying "Hey wake up, Link! Listen! Hey! Hello!"

Tom opened his eyes slowly. When Tom looked at his surroundings, He sat up in a hurry. He knew where he was, but that couldn't be possible. He was in Link's house in The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time! Tom Turned around and there was a bright white light with wings in front of him. "Hey! You're finally awake, Link! I'm your new fairy partner and my name is Navi. Nice to meet you!",said navi. Tom was completely convinced that he was dreaming, so he decided to have some fun.

Tom looked at Navi and replied "Oh shut up you annoying talking lightbulb!"

Navi's voice sounded annoyed. "I don't know what a lightbulb is, but I am NOT annoying! If you are going to be this rude, you can find yourself another fairy partner!" Navi flew out the door of the house.

Tom couldn't believe this. He was actually in the game! He was in Kokiri Forest! Navi even called him link. He looked at his reflection in a mirror and he wasn't surprised that he looked like Link. From the small brown boots to the blonde hair, blue eyes and green tunic, he was Link. Tom decided to walk out of the house and look around. His house was suspended above the ground, so he had to climb down a ladder. Tom was just about to climb down when he saw a green haired girl in green clothes running towards his house waving. He knew Right away it was Saria.

"Yahoo! Hi Link! How are you doing this morning?", inquired Saria.

"Well, I'm not too bad I guess", replied Tom

"Have you seen a fairy fly past here?", asked Tom.

"Yes. There is a fairy over by that tree." Saria pointed to a tree not far from where she stood.

"That fairy wasn't too happy, Link. Did you say something mean to her?"

"Well.. I kinda told her to get lost", replied Tom.

"What? How could you be so mean?", Saria shouted at Tom. "I want you to go talk to her and tell her you're sorry right now!", said Saria

. "Okay Saria! If it will keep you from shouting at me, ill go apologize to Navi and see what she wanted!"

Tom went over to Navi. She was crying. "Listen Navi I'm sorry I called you annoying"

"Oh leave me alone you jerk!",cried Navi. "Go find another fairy to talk to. I don't want to see you right now!"

Tom looked over at Saria. Saria walked toward Tom and Navi. Saria sat beside Navi and tried to talk to her and calm her down.

"Listen Navi. Link didn't really mean to call you annoying. Can you please forgive him?"

Navi looked into Saria's green eyes and then back to Tom.

"Okay fine",said Navi. "But if he ever calls me annoying again, he's on his own."

After Saria settled the score with Tom and Navi, Tom started to think. If he was gonna be in this world, he had to have one name not two. So Tom decided to stick with Link since everyone was calling him Link anyway.

Link Decided to ask Navi about what she wanted. Navi told Link that he was summoned by the Great Deku Tree, guardian of Kokiri Forest. Link followed Navi's lead to the Great Deku Tree. They were almost there when a kokiri stepped out in front of them.

"Hey! Mr. No Fairy, I see you finally got a fairy! I will have to make up a new name to call you now! How about wimp! Hahaha!"

Link was getting a little angry when Saria walked up and confronted the kokiri.

"Mido! What's your problem? Why are you so mean to everybody?"

"Because I'm the boss! That's why!", snapped Mido. "Besides, No Kokiri is allowed past this point without getting summoned by the Great Deku Tree."

"That's okay", replied Link. "Navi here says I got summoned by the Great Deku Tree"

Mido did a dance of rage. "What? Are you serious? You actually got summoned by the Great Deku Tree instead of the great Mido? This is an outrage! You...You arent even properly equipped yet! How do you expect to help the Great Deku Tree with any task he may give you without a sword and shield ready? Come back here with those and I'll consider letting you pass!"

"Okay where do I find a sword and a shield?",asked Link.

"Not my problem",replied Mido.

Link walked away. Link thought Mido would look funny with a black eye or a fat lip, but he figured Saria would never forgive him if he fought with Mido.

Link learned from Saria that there was a shield for sale in the forest shop for 40 rupees. Rupees are the currency that are used to buy things. Link also learned that there is a sword somewhere in the forest.

"Here link. I saved up some rupees." Saria handed Link 40 rupees.

"Thanks a lot, Saria. I appreciate it", replied Link.

Link walked to the store and saria was right. It was the only hut with a red roof. Link walked in and went up to the counter. The shopkeeper was so short that he had to stand on a crate.

"What can I get for you today?"

"Can I get a shield please?",asked Link.

"Sure thing, buddy."

The shopkeeper moved his crate down to the right a little and reached up on the wall and got one down and handed it to Link. It was nothing fancy. It was made out of wood and it had a small red design on it. It also had straps for the arm. Link paid the shopkeeper and thanked him for his help.

Link and Navi were searching Kokiri Forest for a sword. The forest was beautiful and it had a very peaceful feeling to it. The birds were chirping and there were butterflies flying by left and right. There were even some Kokiri playing a game of tag. Even though they were children, there was a small group of kokiri working on random menial tasks. Some were picking up rocks and taking them away by wheelbarrow. Others were cutting grass around different houses. Link wasn't concerned with any of that. All he could think about was his friends. Was he ever going to see them again? He missed them a lot. Max and Charlie had their faults and they were sometimes annoying, but they were his friends. He missed his mother the most. She was his voice of reason. She made awesome food and she was always there whenever he felt down. Link dismissed them from his mind, convincing himself that he would see them again someday.

Link and Navi had searched one side of the Kokiri Forest. They decided to take a break when a female kokiri approached them both.

"Hey how are you guys doing? My Name is Fado. I heard from Mido that you were summoned by the the Great Deku Tree."

"Yea that's right",replied Link.

"You're going to need training if you want to help the Great Deku Tree. My friend Brad trains with staves. I know staves probably don't do much damage, but it couldn't hurt to go see him anyway right?"

"Yea You're right, Fado", said Link.

"Okay then. Follow me",said Fado.

Link and Navi followed behind Fado. As they were walking, Link noticed a strange building.

"Hey Fado, what is that building for?" Link pointed over to the strange building.

"Oh that is a jail we constructed a short while ago. Don't you remember? We built it after we caught a strange man in black armor causing mischief around the Great Deku Tree. Before we could do anything, he vanished in a puff of smoke. So we built this jail to put intruders in for questioning."

"Oh yea. I..I...must've forgot",stammered Link.

As Link approached the training area, Navi had her doubts.

"Link, are you sure this is gonna help? I'm not sure you'll be much help to the Deku Tree with a stick..."

"I know",said Link. "But do you have a better idea? I have no idea where to find a sword in this stupid forest! So this is the next best thing!"

Link noticed a kokiri weilding a stave. He was hitting a scarecrow with different types of attacks. There were numerous other scarecrows either side of him

"Hey, Brad I heard you can help me with some training with weapons."

Brad turned around and faced Link. "I sure can, buddy. I want to ask you something first. Why do you want weapon training?"

Link gnawed on his lip. "Well you see, I was summoned by the great Deku Tree and I need training in order to help him. I need to find a sword to get to the meadow, but I'll worry about that later."

Brad looked astonished. "Wow, buddy you got summoned by the Deku Tree? That's amazing! Not just everyone gets summoned by The Great Deku Tree. Did you tell Saria the news?"

Link thought about it for a minute and he realized he never told Saria. _"Oh well. I'll just tell her later",_Link thought to himself. "I guess I never did",said Link.

"Well do that for sure later, buddy. Now, you said something about a sword? Like the ones they have outside the forest? I don't believe there is one. Who told you there was?"

"Saria told me she heard there was one hidden away somewhere",replied Link.

"Well, sword or not, I will still train you. Take a stave and follow my lead."

Link grabbed a stave and looked over at Brad. "Okay, buddy. This is how you do a thrust."

Brad held the stave out and jabbed the scarecrow quickly.

"Now you try!"

Link went over to the scarecrow and ave it such a hard jab that the pointed stave went right through the scarecrow!

"Nice job! Now this is tricky to do without falling down. Try a spin. Watch me and stand back."

Brad walked over to the scarecrow and grabbed the stave in both hands and started to spin it. Slowly at first, but gradually getting faster. For a split second, Brad was a blur from the spinning. Brad cut the scarecrow in half with his spin. Brad stopped spinning and he fell flat on his face. Brad looked up at Link.

"Wow, Link. Why is there three of you? Did you bring two friends that look identical to you?"

"No I didn't. You are just really dizzy", replied Link.

"Fair enough. Now it's your turn."

"First thing's first. Let's get you up off the ground",said Link.

Link grabbed his arms and lifted him up onto his feet and lead him over to a nearby stool."Okay. I'm going to try the spin." Link walked over to the other scarecrow and started spinning really fast. When he was done, there was no scarecrow left. Only the back pole was intact, but bent at a weird angle. Link had to sit down himself after his spin. Brad, recovering after his spin, got up and went over to another scarecrow.

" Okay, Link. I know you're dizzy, but try to pay attention. This one is easy. The chop attack. You just hold your staff in both hands, jump in the air with the staff behind you, and at the last minute, swing! Watch me!"

Brad readied himself and then he jumped at the scarecrow. With his stave behind him, he swung it down with tremendous force. It was such a strong force that he cleaved the brittle scarecrow in two. Something was bothering Link.

"Hey Brad, how are we able to do so much damage with these staves and not break them? Also, how are able to break these scarecrows so easily?"

"Well, Link this wood is from the Great Deku Tree himself, so it doesnt break easily unless you hit something more solid than these scarecrows. As for the scarecrows, I made them out of light and dry grass, so they aren't very strong. Watch."

Brad gave a scarecrow a light kick and it collasped in a pile of grass.

"Someday, I've gotta get my scarecrows harder. Maybe plastering them with more mud might help.. Oh yea, Link. Try out the chop!"

Link went up to the last scarecrow and held tight to his stave. He held the stave behind him, jumped, and swung his stave down hard and smash! The scarecrow was nothing but a pile of dried grass.

"You're right, Brad",said Link. "You have to make these scarecrows stronger."

Link sat with Brad Beside the broken scarecrows.

"Well, that's about all I can teach you",said Brad.

"Thanks, Brad. That will really help me if I run into trouble."

Link leaned back and sighed. He still had no idea where to find that sword. Why couldn't he remember much about the zelda world? He knew he was in a weird dimention or something, but he could only remember parts from the game. He knew who Saria was and he knew where he was when he woke up, but other than that, he couldn't remember much. Link decided to forget about it for now. He figured he would eventually remember more. Maybe coming here gave him a tiny bit of amnesia.

"That was amazing, Link!",said Navi.

"Thanks a lot, Navi. But this still doesnt bring me any closer to finding that sword."

"I know, Link", said Navi. "But we can't give up! We have to get to the Great Deku Tree."

Navi started to fly around the training area when she spotted something unusual.

"Hey, Link! I found something!"

Just over a little to the left of the training area, there was a large pile of small rocks. Brad and Link went over to investigate the pile.

"You know, I've never noticed this before. I thought the rock pile was on the other side of the forest", said Brad.

Link was starting to feel excited. "This might be what we've been looking for. Let's move these rocks and see what's under them all!"

Link and Brad worked hard at moving the stones. There were a lot more there than at first glance. About 15 or 20 minutes later, they had the rocks cleared to reveal a small hole in the wall! Link couldn't believe his eyes.

"Wow! I wonder where that goes?"

"Let's go find out, buddy! I'll follow your lead!",said brad.

Link and brad had a tough time getting through the hole. An adult definitely wouldn't fit. After what seemed like hours, Link and Brad and Navi emerged on the other side. Link looked around and he noticed there was a long narrow passage ahead of them. Link and Brad began to walk forward when Link heard a _Click!_ Link looked down and realized he stepped on a pressure activated switch. Link, Brad and Navi weren't prepared for what happened next. Link looked ahead and it took his breath away. There was a huge boulder rolling towards them!

"Oh my god! What do we do, Link?", screamed Brad.

"You're asking me?"

Link took a quick look around and noticed a side passage.

"Quick! Follow me!"

Brad and Navi followed Link's lead without a second to spare. As soon as they took the side passage, the boulder went rolling by and buried itself into the wall All three breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Wow! If we took any longer, we would've got squashed!", said Brad.

"Yea I know. I think somebody set that trap up to protect something in here!", said Link.

Link, Brad and Navi kept walking down the passage when they saw it. A very fancy looking brown treasure chest with gold trimmings. The trimmings and designs were faded with age. Link went to open it and it wouldn't budge.

"Hey Link, it might be rusted shut. See those gold trimmings?"

Brad pointed to the gold trimmings around the lid. They were rusted really bad.

"I don't think these trimmings are made out of real gold, but that's not important right now. How are going to open this, buddy?", Brad asked Link.

Link took a closer look. "Okay. I think if we put a lot of pressure on the bottom of the lid, I think it will open", replied Link.

"Good thinking, Link!",said Navi.

"Thanks, Navi. Hey Brad, did you bring your stave?"

Brad reached behind him and presented Link with a staff.

"There you go, buddy. Try not to break it on me okay?"

Link took the pointed end of the stave and jabbed it at the chest. It still didnt budge.

"Try to use the stave to pry the chest open.",Brad suggested.

Link tried to pry it open. He didnt think it was going to open until he heard a _Click!_ The chest swung open in front of them. Link peered inside and he laughed aloud. He put his hands in the chest and pulled out a small sword! Brad and Navi gasped aloud. The sword was very nice. It had a gold incrested hilt and it had a ruby set into the hilt. The blade looked like it was newly forged. It was a very shiny steel blade without a nick out of the keen blade. There was also a scabbard to match the blade. It was nothing fancy; just a plain brown scabbard. But who needed a fancy scabbard when you owned a sword as beautiful as this one?

"That's a very nice sword!", said Brad.

Navi examined the sword. " yea it is. It should match your shield well."

Link had almost forgotten about his shield. It was strapped to his back but it was so light he hardly noticed it.

Link, Brad and Navi made their way out of the hole and back to the training ground. Link and Navi said their farewells to Brad.

"Thanks for your help, Brad!", said Link as he waved farewell.

"No problem, buddy. Come back and train again with that sword after you're done with the Deku Tree's errand!"

Link and Navi headed back to the Deku Tree's Meadow. Once again, Mido stepped out in front of him.

"Hey, loser! What did I tell you! No coming back here without a..." Mido paused to look at Link. "Where did you find that sword? And you have a shield too...Okay! Fine! You can pass! I actually don't want to know where you found that sword because I probably wouldn't believe you anyway. Hrmph!"

Link and Navi went towards the meadow and as Link was walking, he heard Mido mumbling about Link being a favorite of Saria and the Great Deku Tree.

Link approached the Great Deku Tree. The Great Deku Tree looked to be a great age. What leaves he had left were wilting and he had a lot of missing branches and bark that had fallen off. Navi flew over to him.

"Great Deku Tree! I'm Back and I brought the one you spoke of!"

"Why hast thou taketh so long?", asked the Great Deku Tree.

Link answered for Navi. "Well Great Deku tree, it was like this. Me and Navi were heading right over here when that guy Mido stopped us and said I needed a sword and shield. Saria gave me money for a shield, but I had no idea where to find a sword. Navi here helped me and Brad to find a strange rock pile and underneath was a small hole that lead to the sword. I also went through some training as well before I arrived."

The Great Deku Tree smiled. "Well it sounds like thou had quite the adventure already! But I'm afraid thy adventures art just beginning. A man in black armor came here a few days ago and demanded the sacred treasure of the Kokiri and when I refused, he laid a terrible curse on me. Thy past moons have been full of nightmares. I need you to go inside and eliminate the curse with your wisdom and courage. Have ye what it takes to complete this task for me?"

Link looked at Navi "Yea. I'm ready."

The Great Deku Tree started to groan. All of a sudden, the bark at the front of the Deku Tree started to break apart revealing a doorway.

"Enter brave Link and thou too, Navi. Navi, help to guide Link through the unknown."

"Will do, great Deku tree!"

And with that being said, Link and Navi entered the Great Deku Tree.

End of Chapter


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Link and Navi gazed around in awe. There were a lot of spiders and hostile plant life in the Deku Tree's interior. Link started to walk forward when he stopped suddenly and looked down at the floor. There was a gigantic hole covered with a thick spider web. Link breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wow. I thought I was gonna fall through that thing. I'm really glad I noticed it"

Navi flew overtop of the web. "Link, I don't think you would've fallen through after all. Look how thick this web looks. A very large spider made this web and I don't think it's gonna break easily."

Link examined the web more closely. The strands of the web appeared to be almost as thick as a small branch. Link still had his doubts though and he let Navi know.

"I don't believe you, Navi. I'm going to show you how wrong you are."

Link jumped in the center of the web expecting to fall through. Instead, the web bent under Link's weight and bounced off the web and ended up landing face down on the ground. Navi giggled at Link.

"See, Link? You don't know everything after all! We will have to come back to that web later."

Link stood up and groaned. "Wow that hurt a little. Okay, you little talking lantern. Let's move onward."

Link started to search around for an alternate route, leaving Navi Muttering darkly to herself.

Link was going around looking at the walls to see if he could find a switch to open a door, when he noticed the wall had rough vines growing up it. Link peered upward and the vines stretched right up to the top. Link couldn't see if there was anything up there. What if he climbed up the vines and there was nothing up there? Just Then, Link had an idea.

"Hey Navi! Where are you? I need your help!"

Navi came flying out of nowhere. "How can this talking lantern be of service?", asked Navi.

Link looked up at Navi. "Jeez, Navi can't you take a joke? Anyway, I need you to fly up there and see if there is a way to go." Link pointed up where the vines headed.

"Wow. Now I really do feel like a talking lantern", said Navi.

Navi wasnt gone long. She came down for a landing right down on Link's left shoulder.

"There are a couple medium sized spiders up there that almost had me for lunch, but I did see a door."

Link was grateful for Navi's Assistance."Thanks, Navi. You are a huge help. You're more than just a talking lantern. You're also a good friend to me as well."

Link turned his attention to the vines. He was starting to think that maybe this wasn't a very good idea, but he was confident that he would overcome this challenge if he put all his effort into it.

About halfway up the vines, Link began to feel weary. The climbing was beginning to take it's toll on Link. He had climbed a lot of trees back in his own world, but these vines didn't have upper branches to rest on like those trees did.

"Navi, I'm not sure if I can do this",gasped Link.

"Don't give up now, Link!", said Navi as she tried to encourage Link to carry on. "You are almost there! Just a little bit higher!" Link grunted as he pushed himself to keep climbing upward.

By the time Link made it to the top, he was breathless and exhausted. Link flopped down onto the floor.

"Whew! How...Do...Adventurers...Do this sort of thing?",gasped Link between breaths.

Navi flew over to Link. "Congratulations, Link! You made it! Don't worry about those spiders. They are over towards the door I mentioned."

Link sighed. "That's good. I have to sit down for a little while."

As soon as link realized he wasn't gasping for breath anymore, he decided to explore the area. Link used Navi to Navigate through the Darkness. Link realized there was a wall of thick web surrounding the ledge he was standing on. There was a gap in the web at one place. Link went over and looked down. It was a dizzying drop to the bottom. Link looked a little closer and realized he was looking at the spider web covered hole in the floor he encountered earlier! Link was starting to feel light headed, so he turned away from the ledge and kept exploring.

Link was wondering where this door was that Navi mentioned.

"Are we getting close to that door yet, Navi?",asked Link.

"It's just ahead, Link. Those spiders I mentioned are just ahead too."

Link drew his sword and walked ahead slowly. Something crawled in front of link. Before Link could take a closer look at it, The creature jumped at Link and latched onto his body and tried to bite him in the face. Navi flied in front of Link at just the right time. Link noticed it was a strange looking spider with only one giant eye! Link took his sword and stabbed it into the spider's eye. The spider let out a loud shriek and loosened it's grip on Link. Link pulled the spider off and it turned black and vanished in a small cloud of purple smoke.

"What was that thing, Navi?", asked Link.

"I'm not exactly sure, Link but I hope we don't find it's mother",replied Navi.

Link kept walking forward and he soon spotted the second spider. Link crept up slowly behind it and prepared for a chop attack. Link held his blade behind him, jumped. And brought his sword down with such force that it cleaved the spider in two. The spider vanished in a cloud of purple smoke like the first one. Navi was impressed at Link's skill. Brad had taught him well, considering he trained with staves and not swords. Link walked a short distance ahead and he found the door Navi mentioned. Link opened the door and He and Navi proceeded onward.

When Link walked into the room, the first thing he saw was an old treasure chest resting on a tree stump.

"Navi, is it just me, or does this look like a trap?", asked Link.

Navi looked around the room. There were vines hanging down from the ceiling and there was fungus growing in one of the corners of the room. Aside from that, Navi couldn't see any enemies nearby.

"I don't see any enemies, but be on your guard just in case!"

Link started to walk towards the chest. His quick eyes caught movement coming from the far right wall. Before Link could take another step, three spiders landed in front of him. Link drew his sword and charged toward the nearest spider with his blade drawn in front of him. Before he could strike a fatal blow, the spider leaped clear out of harm's way. The spider nearest Link attempted to spit venom at Link's face. Link blocked it with his shield just in time. The next spider jumped in the air towards Link. The spider was getting ready to latch onto Link when Link held up his sword at the last possible second. The spider was no more. It got impaled onto Link's Sword. Link quickly pulled his sword free and concentrated on the other two.

"Link! Watch out!", cried Navi.

One of the spiders managed to get behind Link when he was busy. The spider spit venom at Link's side. Link barely missed it by rolling out of the way. Link decided to deal with these spiders with a spin. Link gripped his sword tight and he started spinning towards the spiders. One of them got destroyed by the spin. However, the final spider climbed up the wall.

"Come down and fight you coward!", Link yelled.

The spider was climbing the wall sideways and keeping it's large eye on Link at the same time. Link was thinking of trying a chop at the wall if he could distract the spider for a few seconds so it would climb lower...Wait that's it! Link could use Navi to lure the spider lower so Link could get a strike in. Link told Navi his idea and Navi wasn't too happy about it.

"Are you Crazy, Link? I'm not about to put my life on the line like that! Didn't you hear what I told you before? One of those spiders almost had me for lunch!"

Link looked at Navi. "I know how you feel, but you have to trust me! You're my friend! I wont let anything happen to you!"

Navi thought about it for a minute, and then she agreed.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Link. Otherwise, you'll have to explain to the Great Deku Tree why you let me end up on the menu for a hungry spider."

Link tried to reassure Navi. "Don't worry. I'm not about to let that happen."

Navi sighed and started to fly towards the spider with Link following close behind. The spider spotted Navi and it climbed lower to intercept it's prey. Navi was getting nervous. The spider was getting ready to jump when Link shouted

"Navi! Get out of the way now!"

Navi flew quickly over to one side .As the spider jumped, Link jumped in the air to perform a chop. _Slice!_ Link turned around after performing his chop and he noticed the spider was cleaved in half.

Link Turned to Navi. "See, Navi? I told you if you trusted me, it would work"

Navi looked at Link and replied "Don't ever put me through that again, Link or I'm gonna go find somebody else that won't use me as spider bait!"

Link went up to the chest and opened it. He was surprised when he found an old slingshot and a bag to store bullets in. He was even more surprised to discover that the bullet bag had 30 seeds in it. Link walked out of the room, wondering where to go next.

Link looked at Navi. "Where do we go next, Navi?", asked Link.

"Well", replied Navi. "There's only one other way to go; through that web on the bottom floor."

Link looked perplexed. "Yea, but there is no way to break it that we have found yet."

Navi giggled. "Yes there is, but you're not gonna like it. Remember that clearing in the web over here?" Navi flew over to the parting in the thick web.

"Yea. So how is that gonna help me?"

Navi sighed. "You have to jump off here and go through the web on the bottom floor."

Link suddenly felt sick to his stomach. "WHAT? Are you out of your mind? Me jumping from this height? What if I miss the web?"

Navi laughed. "Well, you might still fall through the floor heh heh",Navi joked.

Link's face was pale and his hands were sweating from fear.

Link looked at Navi. "Well, let's give this a try before I wet myself in fear."

Link took a deep breath and jumped. He could feel himself dropping faster as he dropped toward the spider web. _Crack! _Link fell right the spider web and he kept going down until he landed with a big _spalsh!_ He was apparently in some sort of pool. Is this where the Deku Tree Stored water he got from his roots? Navi followed Link down the hole. She was happy that Link now knew what true fear felt like.

Link floated in the water and gazed around. Link spotted a small ladder leading up to a higher platform. Link climbed the ladder and he once again spotted another hole in the in the floor covered with a web. How was he gonna get through this one? This time, there was no higher area to jump from this time. Navi was examining the web when she noticed something Unusaul about it.

"Link, this web wasn't made by the same spider as the previous web. I think you may be able to cut this with your sword!"

Link drew his sword and attempted to jab at the web. Strands of web began to part. Link continued to stab at the web until he created a small hole through it. Link jumped down the hole and he landed in water once again. "_What's with all this water?"_, Link thought to himself. Link swam out of the water onto dry land and he was in front of a huge door. Link guessed that this must be where the source of the Great Deku Tree's Curse resides. Link opened the door and entered the chamber.

The first thing Link saw was that really thick web everywhere! There were a lot of tree roots around all over the place. Link started to hear a strange scratching noise. Link looked up to the source of the noise and to his horror, he found it. It was a gigantic spider! Those spiders Link killed must've been it's young. The spider hadn't detected Link yet. Link decided to get the first strike. Link took out his slingshot and selected a bullet seedand fired up at it. It hit the arachnid's rear end. The seed bounced harmlessly off it's body. The arachnid turned around, saw Link with it's huge red eye and started to climb towards him. Link wasn't sure how to attack or what to attack when he remembered the smaller versions being weak to hits in the eye. The spider was right in front of Link now. It's fangs bared and full of venom.

"Link! Don't just stand there! Shoot it in the eye with your slingshot!", yelled Navi.

Link was frozen with fear, but he managed to quickly reload his slingshot and fire into it's eye. The spider fell down stunned. Link drew his weapon and started hacking at the eye. Blood was pouring everywhere. The spider recovered and hit Link with one of it's legs. This sent Link flying into the wall behind him. Link was winded and dazed from the hit. Navi tried to snap Link out of it.

"Link! Get up or you're finished! You can't let that oversized bug win! You're tough, Link! I know you can do it!"

Link got up and shook his head. That was a tough hit. The arachnid approached Link and spit venom at him. Link dodged it by rolling out of the way. The spider once again reared it's ugly fangs at Link. Link quickly got out his slingshot and ley another bullet fly at his eye. The spider fell flat down on the ground stunned again. Link decided to try a spin. It worked on the smaller versions when they weren't cleaver enough to hop out of the way. Link started his spin. Slowly at first and then getting faster. Link aimed his spinning at the spider's eye. Link was hitting the eye dead on. After Link was done his spin, the spider was screeching loudly. Link's spin attack did the trick. The spider finished screeching and fell down in front of Link. It burst into a purple cloud of smoke. A blue light appeared in front of Link. Intrigued, link walked into the light. Link closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he was standing in front of the Great Deku Tree.

Navi came out of Link's hat where she was hiding. The Deku Tree spoke.

"Link! Thou hast returned. I am glad you were able to carry out my wishes. Now, I have to tell you something. Would thou please listen?"

"Yea sure", replied Link.

"Listen carefully. A wicked man of the desert put this curse on me. He continuously uses his vile sorcerer powers to search for the hidden relic the Triforce that is connected to hyrule. With this power, he plans to achieve world domination. Now, let me tell thee about the triforce. Before any life existed on this world, there were three godesses: Din, Nayru and Farore. Din, with her strong flaming arms, she created the red earth. Nayru, with her rich soul, gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore produced all life forms that would inhabit this world. The three goddesses departed from the heavens. Their goals completed and they left behind the sacred relic the Triforce. Legends say that the triforce is located in the Sacred Realm. Though must never allow the evil man in black armor to get his hands on the triforce. The same man that put this death curse on me and sapped my power. Because of that, my end is nigh."

Navi started to cry. "Great Deku Tree, please don't die. The forest needs you!"

The Deku Tree smiled. "I know, Navi. Even though you destroyed the source of the curse, I was doomed before you started. I want to give you something before I pass on. The stone that man wanted so badly that he placed this death curse on me."

The Deku Tree shook a top branch and a shiny green stone fell out! Link picked it up. Navi knew what it was immediately.

"Link! That's the Kokiri Emerald! The sacred treasure of the kokiri!"

The Deku Tree groaned in pain. "Yes, Navi. That is correct. Link, You are Hyrule's final hope. Link, go to Hyrule Castle. There, thou will surly meet the Princess of Destiny. I intreat...ye, Navi. Good...Bye."

The Deku tree's bark suddenly started to get black in color and dead leaves started to fall. The Great Deku Tree passed away. Navi looked at the Deku Tree and sighed heavily.

"Let's go to Hyrule Castle, Link."

Navi took one last glance at the Deku Tree.

"Goodbye...Great Deku Tree..."

And with that, Link and Navi left the Great Deku Tree's meadow.

End of Chapter


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Mido and his fairy partner Raz were out for a nightly walk. Mido had a hard day. First, he sent that annoying stupid kid Link on a sword and shield hunt before he could proceed to the Deku Tree's meadow. Mido knew Link would buy a shield at the shop, but he never expected himt to actually find a sword! A very nice sword too. Mido was forced to let Link pass because of that and because the Great Deku Tree summoned him. What could Link do that the great Mido couldn't do better? He thought he should have been summoned instead of that brat Link. Secondly, Saria was getting mad at him for being so mean to everyone all the time. Saria had caught Mido ordering a kokiri to cut the grass at Saria's house to win her trust. Mido was the boss! Shouldn't he be able to order people around as he saw fit?

"Come on, Raz. Let's head for home", said Mido.

Mido was starting to walk past the forest shop, when he saw a strange green glow. He walked over to investigate, when he saw a big green ball of light. Unsure if it was an enemy of some sort, Mido hid behind a nearby tree. Mido kept watching the green ball until he saw two figures emerging from it. The glowing faded and the two figures dropped to the ground in a heap. Whoever or whatever they were started groaning. Mido, convinced they were invaders, didn't have much time to act. He grabbed a branch off the tree he hid behind and approached the unknown figures. They were both young boys about the same age as Mido. They stood up and looked around.

Mido held the stick up in their faces. "You are coming with me, you cowardly invaders!"

One of the boys held up his hands. "Easy now. We are not invaders. My name is Charlie and he's Max."

He pointed to the other boy. Max waved at Mido. "Now, I got a question for you. Who are you and where are we?" Charlie looked down at his clothes. They were all green! So were Max's!

"What's with these weird clothes?"

Mido was getting angry. "You are in Kokiri Forest, you invading scum! Your disguises don't fool me! You are going to the jail for questioning!"

Both of the boys gasped as they walked.

Max looked at charlie. "Did he just say we were in Kokiri forest? How is that possible? Kokiri Forest is from The Legend of Zelda! What's going on? Where did that green hole take us?"

Charlie looked confused. "Maybe this all a dream? If it is a dream, we are both having the same dream..." Max and Charlie got no further with their speculations. Mido clubbed them over both of their heads with the stick he was carrying and knocked them unconscious.

Link was walking out of the Great Deku Tree's meadow. He still felt bad about the Great Deku Tree. He was the forest's guardian. What would become of the forest now? Link's thoughts were interrupted as he walked right into Mido. Mido was out for his walk again after dropping off the two boys for questioning in the morning. Mido looked at Link.

"Hey, loser! What's the status of the Deku Tree? Have you done what he asked of you?"

Link looked crestfallen. " Yes, Mido I did, but..."

Mido cut Link off. "But what?", snapped Mido.

Link looked at Mido with a sad expression. "The Deku Tree is Dead, Mido. We helped him to break a curse inside of him, but it was too late."

Mido was furious. "WHAT? You killed the Great Deku Tree? How could you do a thing like that? I think you are working with the invaders I threw in jail today! I think you killed the Deku Tree on purpose!"

Mido still had his stick. He held it up in Link's face. "You're coming with me to the jail."

Link was outraged. "Mido you idiot! Why would I do a thing like that? We're on the same side remember? The Deku tree died because of a curse! I didn't kill him! Who are these invaders you spoke of? Whoever they are, I'm not in league with them! I'm not going to jail!"

Link drew his sword and pointed it at Mido. Navi flew over in front of Link's face.

"Link! What are you doing? Put the sword away! Killing Mido would be a big mistake!"

Link put his sword away. Navi turned toward Mido.

"Link is telling the truth, Mido. We never killed the Deku Tree. The Great Deku Tree died from a curse!"

Mido had heard enough. "So, you even got your fairy to lie for you! Let's go, Link! You too, Navi! You are going to the jail for questioning in the morning along with the other two!"

Link was escorted to the jail. He didn't try to fight or run because he was curious who the other two that Mido had mentioned. Who were they? Why did Mido suspect that he was in with them? Link figured he would find the answers he needed soon enough.

Charlie and Max were in the jail, wondering what their fate was. Were they going to be executed? Maybe they would get banished from this forest? Max pulled on the strong wooden bars. They were locked tight. The Bars were made out of thick branches from the Deku Tree. The cell had a small barred window. Max peered out, but all he could see was small elf like people walking in the distance.

Max Groaned. "This can't be real, Charlie. I've never seen elves in real life before. That kid that brought us here looked really familiar, but my head isn't working properly. I'm so confused!"

Charlie sighed. "You're not the only one, buddy. I think this is somehow real. We know we are apparently in The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, but other than that, I'm drawing blanks. I don't recognize anybody."

Just then, The prison door swung open. That bossy kid that carried them to this cell walked in escorting a kid with blonde hair in green clothes. The blonde kid grumbled something as the bossy kid that lead him in here opened the cell and pushed him in.

"There. Now all three of you can get reacquainted. See you guys in the morning. You'd better answer my questions!"

He locked the door and left the prison. Link looked at the other two and gasped. It was Charlie and Max! Link thought he would never see them again. Link noticed their clothes changed to kokiri clothing as well.

"Charlie! Max! I thought I was never going to see you guys again! How did you two get here?"

Max and Charlie looked at Link blankly. "Excuse me, but do we know you?",asked Charlie and max at the same time.

Link smiled. "Yea. You know me all right. I know I look different, but it's me Tom!"

Max and Charlie looked at each other and began laughing.

Max looked at Link. "Yea right, pal. We don't believe you. In fact, we are almost positive that this is a dream."

Link sighed. How was he going to convince these two who he was? Link tried to contribute to their discussion about this world being only a dream.

" I first thought this was a dream too" , said Link. "But after going through a dungeon inside of the Deku Tree and almost getting Navi eaten, I soon realized that this isn't a dream. I think we all wandered into another dimention."

Navi flew out of Link's hat. "Link, what are you talking about? What is a dimention? Also, Who's Tom?"

Link stood up. "Well, Navi it's hard to explain. From what I can recall, I stepped into a green hole and I woke up here. My name isn't Link. It's actually Tom and I'm from another reality. This place we are occupying is supposed to be a game. I'm really from a place called Greenwood Forest in another reality. We all are. All three of us."

Charlie and Max looked at Link. They now realized that he was telling the truth. This was their buddy Tom from Greenwood Forest. Max was first to break the silence.

"So it really is you, Tom! I'm starting to remember Link now. You're lucky, buddy! You get to be the hero!"

Link smiled at Max."I guess I never looked at it like that before!"

Link had questions for the two. "So how did you guys end up here?"

Max answered for them both. "Your mom sent us to find you after you didn't return home after our walk. We were searching through the forest for quite some time. When night came, we were just about to head to your house and inform your mom we didn't find you, when we saw something glowing a bright green in the distance. We figured it might be you. We went over to the green light only to find a big deep looking hole. When we knelt down to take a look down the hole, it pulled us in and we ended up here."

Link nodded. "That's exactly what happened to me. The question is what do we do now? I don't know how to get back. I haven't seen any holes similar to the one that pulled me in."

Navi was very confused. "So let me get this straight. All three of you don't belong here? You are all from another world?"

Link nodded. "Either that or another dimention, Navi."

Navi was concerned about the Deku Tree's last request. "What about the task the Deku Tree gave you, Link? Are you just going to ignore it?"

Link looked at Navi. "Of course not. When we get out of here, I intend to continue my quest. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! We will figure out how to get home later!"

Charlie and Max cheered at Link's response.

Charlie smiled at Link. "Alright, Tom or I mean Link! We are with you on your decision! We should enjoy this! We shouldn't look for the way home so soon! I myself will enjoy this even more as soon as we get out of jail!"

Link laughed. "I couldn't agree more! Well guys, I'm gonna get some shuteye. We will deal with this imprisonment in the morning!" All three agreed and settled down to slumber.

End of Chapter


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Mido woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. Today was the day he was going to question the two intruders and Link. Mido was convinced Link was with the intruders. He murdered the Great Deku Tree! Mido was thinking about executing the three. Why not? He was the boss! Then he started to think about how Saria and the other kokiri would react to an execution. No such thing had ever occurred in this forest. That might cause a rebellion amongst the kokiri. Mido dismissed the idea and started to think up another plan. What if he were to banish the three? That would get rid of the two intruders. Plus, it would also get rid of Link. He killed the guardian of the forest! That was the perfect reason to banish Link! Mido woke up his fairy partner Raz and went to work.

Link was first to wake in the cell. It was morning. He stretched and started to wonder how today was going to turn out. Was Mido going to have the three of them killed? No! Link would not allow himself or his friends to be killed by that scumbag Mido! He would rather die than to see his friends killed by Mido. Maybe Mido was considering banishment? Link would miss Saria and Brad and Fado, but at least him and friends would be alive and free of Mido.

Link looked over at Charlie and Max. They were both still asleep. Suddenly, the prison door swung open and hit the wall with a loud _bang!_ Both Charlie and Max woke up to the racket. Link looked over to see who it was. He wasn't surprised to see Mido standing in the doorway. Mido walked over to the cell door and looked at Charlie and Max.

"I want to know where you spies are from. Who sent you? Are there more of you in this forest?"

Charlie and max looked at each other. This guy thought they were spies? They didn't know how to reply, so Link answered for them.

"Mido, you got it all wrong! They aren't spies! They are my friends!"

Mido looked over at Link.

"So, Link. You admit you know these kids? That must mean you are with them!"

Navi flew out from Link's hat. Link and Mido's shouting woke her up. She was getting tired of listening to Mido's ridiculous accusations.

"Mido! Stop this nonsense! Link, tell Mido what you told me last night! You know, about where you guys are really from!"

Link looked over at Navi and sighed.

"Navi, what makes you think this idiot would listen to me, let alone believe me?"

Mido was outraged at Link. He had just called Mido, the great boss of the kokiri, an idiot! Mido was shaking with rage.

"How DARE you! Do you not realize who you are dealing with?

"Yea I do, Mido. A stupid retard!", replied Link.

Navi couldn't take any more of their arguing. She flew between Link and Mido's faces and tried to settle the two down.

"Stop you two! This isn't getting us anywhere! Link, no matter how much he deserved it, you shouldn't have called Mido a retard! Mido, could you at least try not to jump to conclusions all the time? Now, listen to Link. He has something to share to you about where he and his friends are really from!"

Mido finally decided to keep quiet. Link stood up and looked at Mido through the cell bars.

"Well Mido, this may come to you as a surprise, but me and my friends here aren't even from this world! We came here by means of a strange green portal. My real name is Tom. These are my friends Charlie and Max. We believed we have stumbled into another reality."

Mido could hardly contain himself. He burst out laughing at Link's statement.

"You actually expect me to believe that, Link or I mean Tom? How dumb do you think I am?"

Link had to bite his tongue because he was about to insult Mido. Mido looked towards Link.

"First, you lie to me about the Great Deku Tree getting cursed. Now you expect me to believe that you and your friends are from another reality? I have heard enough! You four are hearby banished from Kokiri Forest! I will take you out of this jail to the forest Bounderies and then you are on your own! You may never return for any reason!"

As Link and his friends were being escorted by Mido, he caught a glimspe of Saria, Brad and Fado. Saria ran up to Mido.

"Mido! Why are you banishing them? You don't actually think that Link and Navi are murderers and those two are spies, do you?"

Mido was in no mood for this. He walked past Saria with the four in tow.

"This is none of your concern, Saria! Don't get involved if you know what's good for you!"

Link waved farewell to the three kokiri that helped Link with his errand.

"Talk to you three Later! I know we will meet again someday!"

"Stay safe, Link! Remember my training!", said Brad.

Saria walked up to Link and put an object into his hands. Link held it up. It was a type of flute It was Green with a small design on the mouthpiece Link looked closer and realized that it was a Artistically drawn _L_. Link was lost for words.

"I meant to give this to you earlier, Link. It's called an Ocarina. Those holes are where you put your fingers and these musical instruments have a nice melody and tune. I hope you will remember me every time you play it."

Link Felt a tear drop. He enjoyed Saria's company a lot but now, he realized that he may never see Saria again. He gave Saria a farewell hug.

"Thank you for the gift, Saria. I will always treasure it."

Fado walked up and hugged Link.

"So long, Link! I wish you and your friends the best of luck out there."

"Thanks a lot, Fado! We'll be fine!", replied Link.

Mido escorted the four to the boundary. He was getting excited about finally getting rid of them.

"There you go. Don't ever return here, or you'll regret it!"

"Whatever you say, Mido. At least I won't have to deal with your attitude anymore!"

"Hmph! I'm going back to the forest! Get lost, you losers!"

Link, Charlie, Max and Navi were out of the forest. Max was glad he didn't have to listen to that guy Mido complain anymore, but where were they all going to go now? Max hoped that Link knew where he was going.

"Hey, Tom! Where are we heading?", asked Max.

Link remembered the Great deku Tree's words fondly.

"We are going to Hyrule Castle, wherever that is. By the way Max, try to call me Link for now okay? It will be less confusing to any new people we meet."

Charlie spoke up. "So, you're starting to get into character now eh, Tom? I think it's kinda cool, actually calling you Link."

Link smiled. "Yes I know. Now, let's keep moving."

The four friends weren't walking long when they heard some rustling coming from a tree in front of them. They looked up and saw a huge brown owl! This owl was massive. His breast had a black diamond pattern across it and his tail feathers were snowy white. The owl looked at the four travelers with it's sharp red eyes. The owl actually started to speak!

"Hoot! Hoot! Good day, Travelers! Where are you all heading today?"

Link, Charlie, Max and Navi were all speechless. They didn't expect to encounter a talking owl. Link finally decided to talk to the owl.

"Uh, hi there. We are heading to Hyrule Castle. Do you know which way that is?"

The four travelers didn't realize it, but they made a terrible mistake asking this owl a question because once he started talking, his chatting was endless like the flowing of a river.

"Hoot! Yes as a matter of fact, I do know where Hyrule Castle is. It is just beyond the next hill. Keep following the trail and you will come across a drawbridge. Go across it and you will be in the castle town. Keep going through the town and you will reach the castle. A beautiful princess lives there and she has an attendant named Impa. The castle is very large and beautiful as well. That reminds me of the other day when I..."

"Okay! That's enough! I don't want to hear your life story! Talk to you later, you chatterbox!", said Link as he and his friends waved at the owl.

"Hmph! The nerve of that kid! Cutting me off in mid sentence and then calling me a chatterbox to boot! That reminds me of last week when I had that argument with that Canary about me not being annoying! The nerve of that bird! Why, I even told him..." The four travelers were out of sight as the chatty owl talked to himself.

The four companions were amazed at the size of the field they were walking through. When they looked left, they could see nothing but rows of trees. To the left, they saw mountains very far in the distance. Charlie was enjoying himself. He was a shy boy, but he liked it in this world. Everything was so lively and beautiful. Charlie didn't really care if he was stuck here forever or not. He liked the idea of no more school or homework ever again. He wouldn't even have to clean his room! Well, maybe a little if he got one in this world someday. Maybe just maybe, Tom might decide to stay? He was the hero of course! Somehow, Charlie had to convince him to stay over the course of his Journey. Charlie decided to try to talk to him about it.

"Hey, Tom! What if we can't find a way back to our world? I mean, it's very unlikely that we will, right?"

Link wasn't sure what Charlie was talking about. If there was a way in, there had to be a way out somewhere! Link had to admit, he was enjoying being the hero in real life, not just in a game. To everyone here, this was real life for them. It was starting to feel real to Link the more areas he explored. He wasn't sure if maybe the princess would know of a portal to send them home or not. But even if she did know, would they want to go back? Link tried to dismiss the thought as he talked to Charlie.

"I'm not sure, Charlie. If we can't find a way back, I think I could learn to enjoy this world. How about you, Max?"

Max was uncertain. He liked this world a lot, but he also missed his own reality a little bit as well.

"I was thinking that if we could find a way back, I would go back to our reality."

Charlie was crestfallen. "You mean if me and Tom wanted to stay, you would still go? I thought you were our friend! Why would you abandon us?"

"Look Charlie, don't start with me, alright? I'm still mad about what happened to us in Kokiri Forest. Don't you realize we can't ever go back there? And besides, if I were to go back, what difference would it make? You guys never liked me anyways."

Link was shocked at Max's statement. "Max, how could you say such a thing? Of course we like you. You're our buddy and you always will be. As for getting home, let's not worry about that right now and just enjoy ourselves alright?"

Max was very glad that his friends cared so much for him. Link was right. He wasn't going to worry about getting home for now. For now, he was going to try to make the best of a bad situation.

"Thanks, Link. That made me feel a lot better. You guys are true friends!"

Navi was sleeping through their discussion, but Max's last statement woke her up. She flew over to Link.

"Link, are we at Hyrule Castle yet?"

"Not yet, Navi. We should see that drawbridge the owl mentioned shortly."

The four friends walked up the hill in front of them and in the distance, they saw the drawbridge! It looked close, but as they walked towards it, they realized it was a lot further away than they thought it was.

Finally, after 20 minutes of walking towards it, they were in front of the drawbridge. Link looked at it and froze in his tracks. He saw this very same drawbridge in a dream! The dream he had before Navi woke him up into this world! He remembered seeing the white horse gallop out across this drawbridge. Link remembered seeing the small girl and the older woman riding on the horse. He also remembered to the small girl having a look of terror in her eyes. He remembered the evil looking man arriving next. He remembered the evil grin on his face as he looked at Link. Link finally snapped out of it when Charlie approached him.

"Hey, Tom! You okay? You don't look so good!"

Link looked at Charlie. He looked a little confused. "Yea I..I..I'm okay. Don't worry about me. I was just remembering something that's all. By the way buddy, call me Link."

Charlie knew something happened, but he chose to listen to Link. "Okay, buddy. Let's go into the castle town.

Max noticed Link was acting strange as well. "Come on, Link! As soon as we get into this town, we are taking a break. We'll get ourselves something to eat and then, we will find a bed later on."

Link smiled at Max. "Thanks, buddy. That sounds nice."

Link walked into the town with his friends, still wondering how a flashback of a dream made him feel so strange and lightheaded .

End of Chapter


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

After walking through the gate past the drawbridge, the four friends thought they were in the castle town. However, they soon realized that it was a short walk ahead still. There was a gatehouse to the right of them and just ahead of the gatehouse was a guard on duty. He was wearing steel armor and he was holding a Hylian Shield. He walked up to Link and his friends.

"Hello, kids. You aren't here to cause trouble are you?"

Link, Charlie, Max and Navi looked up at him.

"No, sir. We are just wanting to look around town", replied Link.

"Okay. You may pass. But watch yourselves though. There have been some gerudos hanging around town. If you see any, call a guard at once!"

"Thanks. We'll keep an eye out", said Link.

The four travelers kept walking. Link was starting to wonder who or what a gerudo was. He figured he would find out later. That dream he remembered was still bothering him. He had a feeling that was no ordinary dream. He figured all he needed was a good night's sleep and he would feel better.

The four travelers walked into the castle town. What they saw amazed them. There were stalls set up all over the place. The stall nearest them was a jewellery shop. There was a huge crowd around it, mostly women. The shopkeeper was almost sold out of everything he had. The crowd of women still wanted more.

"This Trinket for 40 rupees? I'll take it! What else do you have?", inquired a younger looking woman.

"I don't have many trinkets left I'm afraid. Come back tomorrow!", said the shopkeeper

As soon as all the women heard that, they sighed and walked away from the stall.

Max noticed a food stall just ahead of them. He was selling all sorts of breads, oats, and cheese. Max thought maybe he could get everyone some food and then maybe find an inn.

"Hey, guys! There is a food stall ahead of us! It looks like they have a lot of food left! Let's get some and then we can find a inn to sleep in and..."

Charlie cut Max off. "Say, Max? I like how enthusiastic you are about getting us something to eat and finding us a room, but there's one problem. We don't have any money! What did you think we were going to pay with? A handful of pebbles?"

Max felt bad. He got so excited about getting something to eat and finding a room that he forgot the most important thing. Money.

"I'm sorry, guys. I got carried away. What is the money here anyway?"

Link knew the answer to that. Saria gave him some to buy a deku shield.

"We need rupees, guys. I don't know how we are gonna get them though. I got a headache. I'm gonna sit down on that bench. You guys go ahead without me."

Link went and sat down on a nearby bench. Navi stayed with him for company. Charlie and Max started to look around town. They didn't walk far when they noticed a very large crowd of people. They walked into the crowd to see what was going on, when they noticed a brown haired guy with a mustache. He was wearing a black silk jacket and he had a top hat. The man took off his top hat and bowed to the crowd of people.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Try your luck with castle town lottery! It only costs 1 rupee to play! First prize is a beautiful hand crafted wallet with 500 rupees inside! Wouldn't you like to win all that money? All you have to do is pay one rupee and I'll give you a number. If your number matches the number I pull out of this barrel, you win! Second prize is 250 rupees! Third prize is 100 rupees! Three prizes, three numbers! Get yours today!"

The barrel was a small keg that may have held wine at one point. The numbers were wrote on small marbles. Charlie and Max really wanted to play, but they had no money to participate. They both sighed heavily. This would solve their money problems altogether if they won that wallet! An old man nearby noticed how upset the kids looked. He walked over to them held out his hand.

"Here you go, sonny. Good luck! I was gonna play, but I'm sleepy. I think I might go home, so here's a couple rupees to get started!"

The old man gave Charlie and Max 20 rupees!

"Thanks, mister. We appreciate it", said Charlie.

Charlie and Max went up to the man with the top hat and gave him two rupees. 1 number for both of them. The man handed them their numbers. Charlie got #17 and Max got #10. There were 15 other people getting numbers as well. As soon as everyone got their numbers, everyone sat down on nearby benches and the man in the top hat started to shake the barrel. All that could be heard was the clinking of marbles hitting together. After 2 or 3 minutes, he finally stopped shaking the barrel. He took the lid off and reached down in and pulled a marble out

"Third place number is number 17!"

Charlie stood up. "Wait a minute! I'm number 17! I won!"

Charlie went over to receive his prize. Everyone that was watching cheered for Charlie. He went back to his seat and looked at Max.

"Can you believe it, Max? I just won 100 rupees!"

"Nice job, Charlie! Maybe it's our lucky day after all!"

The man reached in the barrel once more and pulled out another marble.

"Second prize goes to number 29!"

A nearby woman stood up and eagerly stood up and went over to claim her prize.

"And now, the grand prize winner goes to..." The man picked out another marble. "Number 53!"

Nobody moved or cheered. Nobody had the number 53.

"Oops! Nobody has that one! Redraw!"

The man picked out yet another marble.

"Okay! Number 39!"

Everyone looked at their numbers and groaned. One man started to complain. He had number 38, but nobody had number 39.

"Oh come on! You gotta be kidding me! I was so close!"

"Okay, everybody! Once more!"

The man pulled another marble out of the barrel.

"Does anybody have number 10? Or do I have to postpone until tomorrow?"

Max jumped from his seat. He couldn't believe his eyes! His number got drawn!

"Holy crap I don't believe this! I'm number 10!"

As Max went up to receive his prize. Everyone was cheering wildly. Their money problems were officially over!

Charlie and Max left the lottery stall to return to Link and tell him the good news. Between them, they had 600 rupees! Suddenly, a beautiful woman with dark skin and red hair walked out in front of them. She was eyeing the wallet they had.

"Hey, Kids! That's a nice bulging wallet you have there! It looks a little heavy to be lugging around! Why don't I take it off your hands?"

"No! Leave us alone!", Yelled Charlie.

Charlie and Max turned and started to run.

A lot of people saw the commotion and backed away from the action

"You kids won't get far! Nobody outruns Saska The Gerudo!"

As they were running, Max remembered the guard at the entrance mentioning gerudos. He decided to try out an idea. Max yelled at the top of his voice "GUARDS!". Just then, two guards came running towards Saska. She dodged them easily and resumed the chase. Just then, Max had an idea. He started to run towards the bench where they left Link and Navi.

Link still had his headache. He couldn't figure out why it wouldn't go away. Maybe he was just tired. Suddenly, Link stood up and looked towards the left side of town. Navi looked at Link with a confused look.

"Link, what is it? What do you see?"

"I don't see anything, Navi, but I can hear some sort of commotion. Maybe we should take a look."

Before Link could take another step, he saw Max and Charlie ahead of him. They were running very fast towards him.

"Link! We are being chased! There is a gerudo behind us! Please do something!", yelled Max.

Link quickly reached into his pocket and grabbed out his slingshot. He waited for Charlie and Max to run by and then he saw the gerudo closing in on them. Link let four bullets fly towards the gerudo. One went off into the distance somewhere. One hit Charlie on the wrist. He yelped in pain. One hit Max in the back of the leg. Max winced in pain. The last one hit the gerudo in the back of the head. She fell down stunned. Max and Charlie walked towards Link, completely out of breath.

"L-Link!", Max stammered. "J-Just whose side are you on anyways?"

"Yea, Link. That...Kinda...Hurt", said Charlie between breaths.

"Sorry, guys. I have a headache and a really bad aim", replied Link.

Link, Charlie and Max walked towards the senseless Saska. Link asked the two why they were being chased. Charlie pulled out the wallet.

"This is why, Link We won 600 rupees at the lottery here in town!"

"Wow! That's amazing!", replied Link. "Now we can definately get something to eat and spend the night somewhere! But first, what do we do with her?"

Link pointed to the still senseless gerudo.

"Let's turn her into the guards!", Charlie suggested.

"That's a good idea, Charlie! Let's go!", replied Link.

Link Charlie and Max dragged the senseless Saska to the guard that had warned them earlier.

"Thanks for catching her for me, kids! I've been trying to catch this slippery devil for a while now. Every time I got close to catching her, she would always vanish! These women are masters of camouflage."

After turning the gerudo into the guards, Link, Charlie and Max went to the food stall they saw earlier They bought a big loaf of bread and three big chunks of cheese. That came to 40 rupees altogether. Charlie Paid the shopkeeper and went somewhere to eat. They all went back to the bench that Link and Navi were resting on earlier. After eating, it was almost dark. So they went to look around for a inn. They were told by a passing stranger that there was a cheap inn beside the potion brewer's shop. After finding the potion brewer's shop, they quickly found the inn. They walked inside and walked up to the counter. There was a tall red haired man with glasses behind the counter.

"How much are beds for the night?", asked Link.

"Ten rupees for each person", replied the innkeeper

Link got some money from Charlie and paid the man 30 rupees.

Later that night, Link, Charlie and Max were all asleep. Link was having the same dream again. He was standing in front of the drawbridge to the castle town. Once again, a white horse galloped out with a small girl and an older woman in tow. The small girl looked terrified. After they were gone out of sight, the evil looking man galloped out on his black steed with red glowing eyes and stopped in front of Link. He was wearing black armor like the man that Fado had described to them back in Kokiri Forest. The weirdest part of all was that he had green skin! He looked at Link and grinned. Then, he held out his hand and suddenly, a ball of energy started to form in the center of his hand! He pulled his hand back and tossed it like a baseball towards Link! Just before it hit Link in the face, Link woke up and gasped. He was sweating terribly. He looked around the room and he realized he never woke anybody up. Why was he having these weird dreams? Why did they seem so real? Link tried to get back to sleep, but it wasn't easy. He was afraid of having the same repetitive dream twice in one night. An hour later, Link finally got to sleep and the dream never resurfaced again that night.

End of Chapter


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Link had awaken early that morning. He felt well rested, but still nervous about that dream. He didn't know when it was going to replay in his mind again,. He was hoping that it wouldn't anymore. Link laid down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling deep in thought.

Two hours later, Charlie, Max and Navi woke up. They looked over at Link's bed and noticed he was lying there looking up at the ceiling. Charlie whispered into Max's ear.

"Something is definately wrong with Link. We gotta confront him and get him to tell us what's going on."

"I know, Charlie. That's a good idea. I'm worried about him", Max whispered back to Charlie.

Navi overheard what they whispered. She had very sensitive hearing. She flew over to Charlie and Max and whispered softly.

"I'm with you guys. Let's see what's bothering Link."

Charlie, Max and Navi went over towards Link's bed and stood in front of him. Max was first to voice his concern.

"Link, we need to know what's wrong with you. You've been acting very strange lately ever since we got to the castle town drawbridge."

Charlie cut in. "We are all worried about you, Link. Could you please let us help you?"

Link looked at them for a minute and then he went back to staring at the ceiling. Navi was starting to get annoyed.

"Hey! Listen! We are trying to help you, you dope! Don't ignore us! Tell us what's wrong! Maybe we can help!"

Link sighed and turned towards his friends They were right. He needed to talk to someone and try to get this dream thing figured out.

"I'm sorry, guys. I wasn't trying to ignore any of you. I'm just a little confused about all of this. I will try to tell you what happened. Everything was fine with me until we approached that castle town drawbridge yesterday. I guess I was having flashbacks of that dream I had when I first arrived in this world. I got a headache after that and I thought it was over. The headache only seemed to get worse though as the day progressed. That's why I had to sit down on that bench yesterday. I couldn't concentrate at all. I told Navi I was just tired with a small headache. Then about half an hour after you two left, the headache just went away. I was gonna get up and search for you guys, but then I heard commotion and helped you to knock out that gerudo."

Max was curious about the dream

"What was this dream about, Link?"

Link sighed. "It's the very same dream I had last night. I'm outside of the castle town in front of the drawbridge. This time, the drawbridge was open, but it's usually closed and opens shortly after. A white horse gallops out from the castle town carrying a small beautiful girl and an older injured woman. The girl looks right at me with fear. I watch as the white horse gallops away in the distance. I hear a snort and I turn around and right in front of me is a big evil looking man in black armor with green skin with yellow eyes and he's riding a black horse with red glowing eyes. He looks at me and grins and holds his hand out in front of me. His hand starts to glow in the center and it forms into a ball of magic. He then pulls his arm back and tosses it at me like a baseball. Just before it hits me, I wake up from it."

Link gritted his teeth. "This dream is no dream! It's a nightmare! It's starting to really bother me!"

Charlie couldn't believe how real Link's nightmare sounded. Either could Max or Navi.

"Wow, Link", said Charlie. "I hope that nightmare doesn't bother you anymore."

"Yea, Link. That nightmare sounds rough! It would probably give me a headache too", said Max.

Link rubbed his eyes. "It's very rough indeed. I don't feel tired, but that nightmare did bother me last night. I feel better now though, but I was afraid I was going to have that nightmare again for a while. Now that I think about that nightmare, that guy in black armor was in Kokiri Forest I think. I remember Fado mentioning a man in black armor bothering the deku tree.. The Deku Tree himself told me that that man was responsible for killing him. He laid a death curse on him because the deku tree refused to give him this."

Link reached into his pocket and pulled out The Kokiri Emerald. Charlie and Max gasped aloud.

"Link, that stone is beautiful! We should try to sell it!", said Max.

"Don't even think about it, Max!", said Navi.

"Why not, Navi? Isn't it worth anything?", inquired Max.

"Maybe, but the deku tree didn't give his life to protect this stone so we could receive it from him and then pawn it! I think this stone had a more important role."

Link had to make up his mind. "Navi's right. This stone is too important and valuable to sell..."

Link turned to Max and whispered to him. "Let's have some fun with Navi."

"Navi, are you sure we can't sell this thing?"

"NO!", snapped Navi.

Link smiled at Navi. It was so fun to bug her.

"Okay we will hold onto it. Don't look at me like that, Navi! I'm not gonna try to sell it! Honest!"

Charlie and Max burst out laughing as Navi started to chase Link around the room. Navi was glowing red.

"Give me that damn thing, Link! I don't trust you anymore! You are gonna try to sell it while I'm asleep! I just know it!"

Link stopped and turned to face Navi. "Okay, Navi! I'm done! I was only joking! Of course I'm not going to sell it!"

Navi was still a little angry.

"You'd better be telling me the truth, Link!"

Later on after Navi was sure that Link wasn't going to sell the Kokiri emerald, They all went outside to look at the castle town more. Link was eager to look around. He didn't look around much yesterday because of his headache. Link was looking at the food stalls with prople crowding around them when Charlie called out to Link.

"Hey, Link! Over here! I found a shooting gallery!"

Link and Navi looked over and saw Charlie and Max standing beside a big building. They went over to Charlie and Max. Max looked at Link with a serious look in his eyes.

"Link, this shooting gallery uses slingshots. There is a picture on the wall beside me of a slingshot. You need serious practice so you don't end up shooting at us again!"

Link considered the idea. He wanted to get better with his slingshot, but he also wanted to fufill the Deku Tree's last request. Link took their bag of rupees. He gave Charlie and Max 100 rupees.

"I want one of you to tell me if they have rental slingshots."

Max volunteered to check and went inside. He wasn't gone long. He came out to inform Link of his findings.

"Yea they do, Link. For 10 rupees, you can play until you miss three targets. The prize for a perfect score is a big bullet seed pouch. Did you give us 100 rupees each to play here for awhile?"

Link nodded.

Charlie thanked Link. "Thanks, Link! You're a true pal! Where are you going while we play? Are you going to stay and watch?"

Link shook his head.

"No I'm afraid not. While you guys have fun, me an Navi are going to the castle to meet with the princess."

Max was crestfallen.

"So you are just ditching us here until you return? Why don't you take us along? We could help you! That's what friends are for right? We help each other out!"

Charlie was about to argue as well when Link held up his hand to silence him.

"Yes that is very true, Max. Friends help each other out. I'm helping you two out by leaving you here. I don't want you guys getting caught by the castle guards. Three people sneaking into a castle would probably cause a lot of racket. We would also be spotted easily. I think it's easier if I travel to the castle alone. I'll see you guys when I return."

Charlie and Max waved farewell to their best friend Link. They would patiently wait until he was done his errand.

Link headed out towards the castle. Link only got about 10 or 15 steps out of castle town, when he spotted something flying overhead. It was the damn owl! Link didn't want to listen to his endless chatter again! The owl flew over and landed in front of Link.

"Hoot! Hoot! Hello there again! Remember me?"

"How could I forget?", Link grumbled.

The owl strutted around in front of Link.

"I was taking a morning flight, when I spotted you leaving the castle town. After our rather rude talk the other day, I realized that we never were properly introduced. My name is Kaepora Gaebora. What is your name, lad?"

Link gritted his teeth. "The name's Link. My friends who aren't with me right now are Charlie and Max."

The owl took a bow.

"Nice to meet you, Link. I'll meet your friends later. What is your fairy's name?"

Navi spoke up "My name's Navi."

The owl hooted loudly.

"Nice to meet you! Just ahead of me is a castle. Try not to get caught by the guards or you will likely be thrown into the jail. The princess would probably set you free though. She has a very kind heart for one so young."

Link was starting to think that maybe the owl knew the princess. Link tried to ask him questions.

"What is the princess's name?"

The owl turned his head.

"I'm not sure, Link. I never thought to ask."

Link slapped his forehead. What a dumb bird! He knew the princess but not her name? Oh well. At least the owl wasn't being too talkative.

Link looked at the owl. Maybe he could get away from him before he started to tell one of his boring stories? Link figured that he would give it a try.

"Well, I'll talk to you later. I'm going to try to get into the castle!"

Link walked away from the owl and waved at him. The owl wished him luck.

"Good luck, Link! I'll see you again someday! Hoot! Hoot!"

Link was actually hoping that this would be their final encounter.

After Link said his farewells to that annoying pest of an owl, He started to walk towards the castle when he saw a girl standing alone singing a song. Link walked up to her.

"Hello! How are you doing? My name is Link. That is a nice song you are singing."

The girl looked at Link and blushed.

"Hee hee! Thank you! Your clothes are different from the castle town folk... Oh! You are a fairy boy from the forest! My name is Malon and I'm from Lon Lon Ranch. I'm waiting for my dad to return from a delivery to the castle! He went there to deliver milk an hour ago, but he hasn't come back yet. He probably fell asleep somewhere."

"I can help you with that. I'm heading to the castle anyways", said Link.

"Oh thank you, fairy boy! If you find my dad asleep, just try to give him a nudge and yell wake up. He should wake up eventually. He's awfully lazy."

Link thanked the girl and moved on. He started to walk down the wide road when he came up to a barred gate in the road. There was also a bridge running over top of the gate. There was a guard to one side of the gate and as soon as he saw Link, he came running with spear in hand.

"Just a minute, kid! Where do you think you're going? This is no place for kids! State your business or begone!"

Link looked up at the guard. This guy obviously took his job very seriously. Link wasted no time and got right to the point.

"I want to get into the castle to see the Princess."

The guard looked at Link and started to laugh. This kid wanted to see the princess? Was he joking? This was the fifth person he sent away this week! Why would this little kid want to see the princess? The guard knew he would be in trouble if he let a kid through! He decided to send Link away.

"Begone, kid! Get out of here! The princess would never grant an audience to the likes of you! Why do you want through here so badly anyway?"

Link decided to tell his reason as truthfully as he could.

"I came here from the Kokiri Forest. The Great Deku Tree's last words were to find the princess of destiny in Hyrule Castle. I intend to honor those last words."

The guard shook his head. He was obviously making up a story so he could get easy passage!

"Sorry, kid! Go home before it gets dark! I'm not letting you through!"

Link didn't know what else to say. He tried pleading with the guard.

"Please! I'm not joking! You have to let me through! Can't you honor a last request?"

This kid wouldn't give up! All of the other people would've headed home by now! This kid kept on being persistent about getting through this gate!

"Look, kid! If I were to let you through, I could get fired! Then I would be back at my old job as a cleaning servant! Always cleaning everything in every room of the castle seven days a week. I hardly ever got any breaks with that job. The pay was very low as well. I begged Captain Viscin to let me join the guard service. Luckily, they were very few guards at the time, so he let me join immediately. He then gave me this important posting with very reasonable pay! I wasn't sorry to leave my old job, kid! I don't want to go back to it either!"

Link almost felt sorry for the guard. He decided to make a deal with him.

"Look if you let me through, I won't tell a soul it was you that let me through! I'll keep my mouth shut. If I do get caught, I'll tell the guards nothing."

The guard thought about this for a moment, then he hesitantly agreed.

"Okay. I will let you through! Quickly now!"

The guard cranked a big wheel with a chain tied around it. The gate started to slowly open. Link walked through. The guard looked back at Link and gave him a rather harsh warning.

"Keep this a secret from everyone! Just like you promised! If I end up getting fired, I'll get a bounty placed on your head for your capture, dead or alive!"

Link didn't bother waving at him. That guy belonged in jail! He had serious anger management issues! Link thought that he might hurt somebody one day.

Link told Navi to take a nap inside his hat and keep quiet. She obeyed without question. From now on, Link knew he had to be careful and silent as he made is way to the castle. Link decided not to take the road. He figured he would be easily spotted if he stuck to the road. Link looked ahead and he noticed at least four guards patrolling the road. He would be caught for sure! He then noticed a very large patch of long grass to his left. There was also a guard patrolling it as well. This wasn't going to be easy. Link banged his fist on the ground. He was stuck! Whichever way he traveled, he would be spotted by the guards! Link's fist hit against something. It was a rock. Of course! Link could distract the guard patrolling the long grass by throwing the rock in the opposite direction! The guard would then run over to investigate, leaving Link a clear path towards the castle! Link decided to put his plan into action. He picked up the stone and threw the rock in the opposite direction Link was wanting to go. The rock fell into a small patch of long grass. The guard fell for it! As soon as the guard spotted movement from the grass, he ran over to investigate. Link then made his move. He crouched down and moved through the patch of long grass slowly so he wouldn't alert any of the guards.

When Link made it through the long grass, he came up to a wall. Another dead end! Link looked at the wall. There were vines growing up it and there was a ledge higher up! Link turned around, checking if the coast was clear. The guard he fooled with the rock was returning! Link had to act very quickly. He grabbed at the vines and started to climb quickly. He pulled himself up onto the ledge and he realized he was at the left side of the castle!

Link went to the other side of the ledge and looked down. He spotted the main gate of the castle, but going through there was out of the question. There had to be a back entrance! Link climbed down off the ledge very quietly and looked around. There were guards not far from him. Link then noticed a moat! He quickly made his way over to it and he quietly walked through. He went under the main gate and it veered left. Link followed the moat until it ended at a grate. He then found a nearby ledge to pull himself up onto.

Link started to hear a loud noise. He looked over and there was a man fast asleep and snoring beside three crates of milk! He had brown hair and a moustache and he was wearing red and blue overalls. _"This must be Malon's dad!"_ Link thought as he walked over to him. Link tried nudging him and telling him to wake up. He didn't budge. He started to mumble a little in his sleep.

"Mmmph! Go away, kids! The ranch is closed! Come back tomorrow! Snore!"

Link started to shake him.

"Come on, buddy! Wake up! You're going to get me caught!"

Link looked around. There had to be something here to wake him up with! As he was looking for something, he looked at the castle wall. He spotted a ledge and on that ledge was a small hole leading into the castle! Water was coming out of it with a steady flow to it.. There was only problem. The ledge was high up. How was he going to reach it? Link decided to worry about that later. He wanted to wake this guy up first. Link was about to try shaking him more, when two guards started to come around the corner! Without a second thought, Link dove into the moat.

The two guards approached the man. They couldn't believe he was asleep again! Every time he delivered milk, he would sit to rest and fall asleep for three to six hours. The guards were getting tired of waking him all the time! If he wanted to take a nap, he could do it at home! One of the guards prodded him with his spear.

"Come on, Talon! Wake up! Your daughter is probably back at castle town waiting for you again!"

Talon Finally groaned and woke up. He looked at the guards and yawned.

"Whu-What did you say about my daughter?"

"She is back waiting for you at the castle town, isn't she! How could you keep her waiting like that? Remember last time? You were here sleeping for six hours before we noticed you and woke you up!"

Talon's eyes widened in realization. He had left Malon waiting for him again! She almost didn't forgive him the last time he did this to her! This time, he felt he messed up bad. Talon started to panic.

"Oh no! I've left Malon waiting for me again! She may never forgive me this time! She's really going to let me have it!"

Talon ran up to the front of the castle and ran out yelling. The guards left to resume their patrol.

Link was in pain. When he jumped into the moat, he forgot their wasn't much water in it. Link's Legs were sore from the fall He had to be more careful. Too high of a fall could break his legs. Link had to rest his legs for a couple minutes. Just then, Navi flew out from Link's hat.

"Hey, Link! Are we in the castle yet?"

Link tried to silence navi.

"Navi! Keep your voice down! There are guards around!", Link whispered urgently.

Navi felt bad. "Sorry Link! I'll try to keep my voice down!"

Link's Legs were still a little sore, but Link wanted to get moving. Link was trying to figure out how to get to that hole when it hit him. He could use the milk crates! Sure it was simple! All he had to do was stack the milk crates one on top of the other on the ledge below and then get on top of the crates and leap to the ledge on the castle! Link got to work. The milk crates were heavier than he first thought. He grunted as he pushed them towards the lower ledge. The first one made a lot of clanking. The second one clanked a little as well. The final one was simple. The second milk crate was level with the ground he was standing on. All Link had to do was slide the final crate carefully so it didn't fall into the moat. Afterwards, Link stood on top of the three milk crates and took a leap towards the higher ledge. He made it! He crawled through the small drain hole and he made it into the castle.

It was nearly dark and Charlie and Max were still at the shooting gallery. It was getting close to closing time, but they were starting to get bored anyway. They both played five rounds each, but neither of them could score perfect. Max got close a couple times, but not quite. They decided to return to the inn. Charlie and Max both still had 50 rupees. They waved at the owner and walked out. They both had a good time, but they were wondering how their pal Link was doing. Did he make it into the castle? Or did he end up getting caught by the guards? Charlie was starting to get worried.

"Link isn't back yet, Max. Do you think he's alright?"

Max smiled at Charlie.

"Link will be fine! I bet he's already in the castle by now! Let's go to the inn! He will probably think to look there when he comes back!"

Charlie and Max were heading back to the inn, when Max noticed two figures were following them. Max whispered a warning into Charlie's ear.

"Charlie don't look behind, but we are being followed! Just keep moving towards the inn!"

Charlie and Max quickened their pace towards the inn. The two figures started to move faster. The two figures jumped at Charlie and Max and knocked them down onto the ground. Charlie and Max tried to get away but before they could get any further, they were both clubbed over the head and knocked out cold.

When Charlie and Max woke up, they realized they couldn't move. They turned their heads and noticed that their arms and legs were bound with heavy rope. Max looked around and realized they were in an abandoned house. The door opened and the two figures walked in. The smaller figure lit a candle while the other larger figure looked at their captives. The two figures were cloaked so only their eyes were showing. Both had weird yellowish eyes. They removed their cloaks and Charlie and Max both gasped in surprise. One of them was a gerudo! She looked exactly the same as the one that chased them through town! She was dressed completely in red. The other figure was a big muscular male. He was wearing black armor and he had green skin! He also had some sort of jewel on his forehead. He had dark red hairand he looked very dangerous.

Realization dawned on Max. This was the same evil man that Link was having nightmares about! Max was getting tired of being tied up. He started to move around on the floor.

"What do you want from us? Let us go!"

The gerudo girl walked up to Max. She sounded a little irritated.

"Let you go? Never! Not until you help us break my twin sister out of jail!"

Max was confused "Twin sister? What are you talking about? Who are you anyway?"

"My Name is Jaska! You captured my twin sister Saska and took her to the guards! Now, you are going to help us to get her out!"

"We will never help you!", shouted Charlie.

"Oh I think you will! You will do whatever we tell you to, or Lord Ganondorf Will put an end to your miserable lives!", said Jaska.

The big muscular male walked up to Charlie.

"I am Lord Ganondorf , King of the gerudo. If you don't cooperate, I will end your sorry lives here and now! Observe!"

Ganondorf pointed to a nearby chair. He held out his hand. The center of his hand started to glow and a ball of energy formed. He pulled back his hand and tossed it like a baseball toward the chair. It hit the chair with a blast of dark energy. The chair smashed into tiny pieces. Ganondorf turned to Charlie and Max.

"The same thing will happen to you if you don't cooperate! I will give you some time to think about it!"

Ganondorf and the gerudo walked out of the house. Charlie and Max were dumbfounded at what they just witnessed. That man was an evil sorcerer. If they didn't do what he said, they would end up just like that chair. Charlie started to cry.

"What are we going to do, Max? If we don't break out that thief, we're goners!"

Max looked grim. "We may have to break that thief out of prison. It's wrong to help a thief escape, but it's better than being incinerated!"

Charlie stopped crying. He looked over at Max.

"I guess you're right, Max. I'd rather help out the wrong side than get killed by that maniac!"

When Link crawled out of the hole, he looked around. He was in some sort of garden! Link noticed that there were still lots of guards around. There were a lot of tall shrubs. Link used them to his advantage and hid behind them to avoid detection. He kept moving forward dashing from shrub to shrub. He rounded a corner and he was almost caught! He almost didn't see the guard patrolling a rectangular section of shrubs. He quickly hid behind the nearest shrub. When the guard passed, Link allowed him to get further away and quietly followed behind him, dashing behind shrubs when necessary. After following him, Link found an entranceway. He went inside and noticed there were a lot of flowers growing all around him. He figured he was in the castle courtyard. Link looked ahead and he couldn't believe what he saw! It was the beautiful girl from his dream!

Ganondorf sighed. After locking those kids up, he knew he wasn't going to make it back to the castle by foot on time for the King of Hyrule's meeting. He made it back to the castle using a secret teleport spell only he knew. The Gerudo King and the King of Hyrule were planning on signing a peace treaty in a couple of days. Ganondorf claimed he wanted to share his resources with Hyrule. He also apoligized for some of his comrades. They were apparently stealing from folks in the castle town and whatnot. Ganondorf claimed he had no knowledge of these activities. The King of Hyrule told the gerudo king he believed him, but the Hyrule king didn't exactly trust him.

The girl turned around in shock. There was a trespasser in the courtyard!

"Who are you? How did you get past my guards?"

Navi flew out from inside Link's hat.

"Are we there yet, Link?", asked Navi.

Link silenced her with a wave. "Navi! Be silent! Sorry about my fairy! My name is Link and this is my fairy partner Navi. The Great Deku Tree requested me to meet you."

"I see. So you are from the forest... Wait! If you're from the forest, you must have the spiritual stone of the forest! That shiny green stone..."

Link reached into his pocket and pulled out the Kokiri's Emerald. Navi sighed with relief.

"So, you didn't sell it after all, Link. That's a relief!"

The girl laughed at Navi's statement.

"Your fairy is cute! I thought you might have that stone! That's what I thought! You are the one from my dream. I had a dream that dark clouds started to form around Hyrule. But a green figure parted the clouds with a green light. The figure was holding a green stone followed by a fairy. I think I may have had another prophetic dream. Oh! I never introduced myself! I am Zelda princess of Hyrule! It's nice to meet you, Link!"

As Zelda was talking, something occurred to link. Maybe he was having a prophetic dream too! He decided to ask her about it.

"Hey, Zelda? I think I've been having a prophetic dream too! I've seen you before we met in my dreams."

Zelda was shocked.

"Link, if you mind me asking, what is your prophetic dream about?"

Link cleared his throat. He told his recollection of his dream to Zelda "Not at all. I'm outside of the castle town in front of the drawbridge. This time, the drawbridge was open, but it's usually closed and opens shortly after. A white horse gallops out from the castle town carrying a small beautiful girl and an older injured woman. The girl looks right at me with fear. I watch as the white horse gallops away in the distance. I hear a snort and I turn around and right in front of me is a big evil looking man in black armor with green skin with yellow eyes and he's riding a black horse with red glowing eyes. He looks at me and grins and holds his hand out in front of me. His hand starts to glow in the center and it forms into a ball of magic. He then pulls his arm back and tosses it at me like a baseball. Just before it hits me, I wake up from it."

Zelda walked over slowly towards the window she was looking through.

"The man you described is through this window."

Link looked through the window and he saw him! The evil man that tossed a ball of magic at Link in his nightmare! He was bowing down to somebody. He looked at Link suddenly. Link pulled his head out of the window quickly.

"That's the guy from my dream, Zelda! He's out there! He saw me!"

"Don't worry about him, Link! We will deal with him soon enough! That is Ganondorf, king of the gerudo thieves. I believe he symbolizes the dark clouds in my dream! He is obsessed with the legends surrounding the Sacred Realm of legend. I believe he wants to obtain the three spiritual stones and enter the Sacred Realm to obtain the Triforce! You mustn't let anything happen to that stone you got! It plays a very important role in the Temple of Time. That building was built many years ago and according to legend, that is the entrance to the Sacred Realm. But it is locked with a door called The Door of Time. Legends say that in order to open it, one must have three spiritual stones. And the other relic is the legendary Ocarina of Time! I need you to find the other two spiritual stones! Don't worry about the Ocarina of Time, I'll keep it locked up tight. Now, I am going to give you a letter! I'm sure it will be useful! It has my signature, so people you show it to should listen to you!"

Link was awestruck. So he needed the other two spiritual stones to stop ganondorf from entering the Sacred Realm? It sounded like it was going to be a long quest. Suddenly, Link heard footsteps. He turned around and it was the older woman from his dream! Zelda was calling over to Link.

"My attendant Impa won't hurt you! She is going to teach you a song, then she will lead you out of the castle!"

Link remembered something he wanted to talk to Zelda about.

"Hey, Zelda! Do you have anything that can stop this dream from resurfacing? It has been giving me bad headaches and I dreamt the same dream every night so far!"

Impa pulled something out of her pocket. It was a beautiful necklace. It had a jewel in the centre bright red in color.

"Try this, young lad. I made it for the princess, but she never needed it. It is made with shiekah magic and it should repress your prophetic dream!"

Link took it from Impa and tried it on. It looked nice on him! Link thought he would ask one more thing before Impa taught him a song.

"Hey, Zelda and Impa? Have you ever heard of alternate realities?"

Zelda and Impa looked at each other. Both shook their heads.

"No we haven't, Link. The only other place in this world is the Sacred Realm. We no nothing of alternate realities. Why do you ask?"

Link had a feeling nobody was going to know about his reality. He tried to explain it to Zelda and Impa.

"Me and my friends are from another reality, guys. My real name is Tom and my friends Charlie and Max aren't of this reality. In our reality, this place you call a world is actually just a game! It's not real! None of this is real in my reality! We ended up here from a green vortex that pulled us in and dropped us in your reality!"

Zelda gave Link a blank look. She had no idea what Link was going on about.

"I'm sorry, Link. You lost me. So you're from another reality? That's quite the story! I didn't understand some of it. Especially the part where you called this world a game and not being real. We will discuss this more at a later time. Go learn the song from Impa please."

Link walked over to Impa.

"So, Link! You are from another reality! That has gotta be tough! Anyway, I want to teach you Zelda's Lullabye. I have played this song for Zelda ever since she was a child. This song has mysterious power. Only royal family members are allowed to learn this song. Listen carefully."

Impa played the song..

"Link, do you have an ocarina?"

Link nodded.

"Take it out and I will teach you how to play. See there is four small holes and one bigger hole for the fingers? Well, gently blow into the ocarina and as you do, put your fingers on the small holes in this order: Left, up, and down."

Link did what Impa told him to do, and he played Zelda's Lullabye!

"That was great, Link! Now, let me lead you out of the castle!"

Link held onto Impa's hand and they teleported right out of the castle! Impa walked towards Castle town with Link following behind.

End of chapter


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Ganondorf was in Hyrule Castle Town and he was in a foul mood. First off, he suspected that the King of Hyrule didn't trust him anymore. Was he aware of his true intentions? Surly not! While he was trying to obtain the spiritual stone in the forest, he covered his tracks. He never revealed his plans to just any gerudo. Jaska and Saska were his most trusted officers. Secondly, he had to get those two foolish brats mobilized and begin a rescue operation to break out Captain Saska from the jail. She was too valuable to leave in prison. Ganondorf headed for the abandoned house in the back alleyways of the Castle Town where he left Jaska to guard those two kids.

Charlie and Max were in the abandoned house still tied up. Charlie was asleep. Max tried to get his bonds loose, but it was no use. They were really tied tight. Max laid back and started to think about this weird world. This world was basically exactly the same as the game they used to play. Max still couldn't figure out why him, Charlie or Tom couldn't remember anything about the game! They used to play it nonstop! Surly they would remember something? They could only remember certain parts. They couldn't remember the whole game. It was like playing it for the first time again only this time, they were all inside the game world! It was very interesting to see everything from a game actually happening in front of him in real life. Max figured he might go back to his own reality if there was a way to, but he wasn't quite sure yet. He was more interested to see if Tom or Charlie were going to stay here first. Max let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes.

Ganondorf approached the abandoned house and Jaska was standing in front of it. Ganondorf walked up to her and began asking questions.

"Report, Lieutenant Jaska! Has anybody suspected anything about this house?"

Jaska stood to attention and saluted Ganondorf.

"No, Lord Ganondorf sir! There were a few people through here, but they were never suspicious about this house!"

Ganondorf sighed. "That's good to hear. How are the kids inside? Are they still tied up?"

"Yes sir! I checked on them an hour ago. One was sleeping and the other one was awake staring up at the ceiling. I checked their ropes. They are still tied tight. The one kid assured me their friend Link was going to save them. I told him to keep his mouth shut."

Ganondorf was pleased. "Excellent work, Lieutenant! I'm gonna rouse our captives and force them to help in the rescue mission of Captain Saska while it's still dark!"

Max was deep in thought when the door opened and Ganondorf walked in. He picked up Charlie and Max by their ropes.

"Get up you two fools! Remember, if you don't help my Lieutenant in this rescue operation, you will be eliminated!"

Charlie was annoyed they had to help break out a thief! He hoped Link would be back soon and rescue them before they liberated the thief.

"You won't get away with this! Our friend Link will rescue us!"

Ganondorf laughed at Charlie. "Yea right, kid! If you try to escape or if your friend finds you and gets too close, my Lieutenant will put an end to your lives! She is a trained assassin after all! Jaska, I'm leaving you in charge of this rescue operation! I have a meeting with one of our spies regarding the location of one of the spiritual stones!"

Ganondorf disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Jaska untied their ropes and prodded them with the hilt of her saber.

"Come on, kids! Let's go on a prison break! Just listen to what I say and don't you dare disobey me! I know a couple spells myself!"

Charlie and Max walked towards the guardhouse where saska was being held prisoner. Jaska was close behind with weapon in hand in case of trouble with the guards or with her captives. Both were too afraid to run. They both believed Ganondorf when he said that she would kill them if they tried to escape.

Jaska took the lead and lead them to an open window in the guardhouse. She reached into her pocket and threw something in the guardhouse. It exploded in a green cloud of smoke. All that could be heard inside was the hoarse coughing of many guards. One guard passed by the window and fell to the floor. Jaska grinned at the captives.

"Knockout gas. Works every time. As soon as this clears, we are going in! Don't try anything funny or you'll regret it."

"We understand", replied Charlie and Max nervously.

"That's good! Here. Take these in case we run into more trouble inside."

Jaska handed them each a scimitar. They looked at them in amazement. The hilts were incrusted with sapphires! These were truly beautiful weapons! Jaska issued them a harsh warning.

"Don't you two even think about coming at me with those swords! I know a couple sword techniques that would leave you two with no heads! Do you want to try me?"

Both Charlie and Max shook their heads.

"That's what I thought! Now, let's go! The smoke has cleared!"

Charlie, Max and Jaska climbed in through the open window. They approached a knocked out guard and saw a ring of keys attached to his belt. Jaska removed it and they continued to explore the guardhouse. They turned a corner and approached a staircase heading upward. They started climbing the stairs. When they reached the top, they noticed two guards guarding a prison cell. Jaska cursed under her breath. That knockout gas must not have reached them! Jaska whispered to Charlie and Max.

"I'm gonna throw a knockout gas bomb towards them! You two head down a couple steps!"

Charlie and Max obeyed without question. Jaska grabbed a knockout gas bamb from her pocket. As she threw it, She yelled a caution to the prisoner.

"Saska! Hold your breath and plug your nose!"

The knockout gas did it's work on the guards. Jaska ran down a couple stairs where Charlie and Max were standing. As soon as it cleared, Jaska turned towards the two.

"Wait here! I will be back!"

Jaska ran into the room and fiddled with the key ring. After trying 10 keys, she found the key to the cell. She opened the cell door and realized her twin sister couldn't hold her breath long enough. Saska was unconsious. Jaska dragged her out of the cell and headed for the stairway when she noticed Charlie and Max attempting to escape. She dropped Saska gently onto the floor with her back against a wall and went after the two fools. She ran after them and attempted to cast a spell while running. She mumbled some strange words and a purple ball of energy started to form in her right hand. She threw it in Charlie and Max's Direction. It hit Max in the back. He dropped with a cry. Charlie looked back in surprise, but continued to run. Jaska smiled.

"Sorry, kid! You're helping me whether you want to or not!"

Max got up and turned around. His eyes were a bright green. Jaska cast a allegiance spell at Max. He was forced to obey Jaska's word . She pointed in the direction Charlie went.

"Follow me! We are going to get Saska and get out here and then you are going to find your friend and bring him to me!"

Max looked at Jaska

"Yes, Master!"

When Jaska and Max got back to Saska, she was awake. She looked at her twin sister in surprise.

"Sister! Why did you throw a knockout gas in the prison?"

Jaska smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, sister! I only meant to knock out the guards in front of your cell."

Saska shrugged

"No big deal, sister. I'm just happy to get out of that prison!"

She turned in Max's direction and gasped in surprise.

"You! You were the kid that I tried to rob! You were the reason I ended up here! You alerted the guards with your yelling!"

Saska was furious. Jaska stood between Max and Saska.

"Wait, sister! I cast an allegiance spell on him! He's working for us now!"

Saska stopped struggling. She smiled at Jaska.

"That was very clever of you, sister!"

Jaska Frowned.

"Yeah. He and his friend tried to escape. I caught this one with that spell, but the other one got away!"

Saska smiled at her sister.

"That's okay. We can use this one to catch the other one!"

Jaska had already thought of that idea, but she wasn't about to argue with her sister. She grinned at Saska.

"Sounds like a plan, sis! Let's get out of here first!"

Charlie ran like he never ran before. He ran into the shooting gallery and sighed. He lost her! But he also lost Max! He heard him cry as he was running, but there was no time to stop and help him. He hoped that Link would be back shortly.

Link and Impa were walking into castle town. Impa wanted to show Link something, but Link had to find his friends first.

"I'll be right back, Impa! I gotta find my friends!"

Impa smiled. He was such a brave caring lad.

"Okay, Link! I'll be waiting!"

Link walked into the shooting gallery and saw Charlie sitting down on a bench. He looked scared and worried about something. Link approached him.

"Hey, Charlie. What's wrong? Where's Max?"

Charlie started to cry.

"I don't know where Max is, Link! We were captured by a gerudo named jaska and a big guy named Ganondorf. He's the one you told us about. The guy in black armor. Anyway, he told us if we didn't help to rescue Saska , he would kill us! We had no choice! We joined Jaska and we went to the guardhouse. Jaska knocked out the guards with sleeping gas and as soon as she went to break out Saska, Max said we should try and run for it! We started to run, but Jaska saw us and threw a ball of magic at us! It hit Max in the back! He went down, but I kept running until I got here! I'm worried about Max! I had no choice but to abandon him! I would've got caught myself if I didn't keep running!"

Link was shocked. A lot happened since he went to the castle. Not only did Charlie and Max get captured, but Ganondorf, the man in black armor from his dream, organized it? Max was missing as well. He had to get some help to find Max! Link turned to Charlie.

"It's okay, buddy. We'll find Max. Let's go take a look near the guardhouse."

Link and Charlie stepped outside the shooting gallery where Impa was waiting. Link informed Impa about Max.

"Impa, my friend Max is missing. Will you help us look for him?"

Impa smiled. "Of course, Link! No problem at all. Do you know where he was last seen?"

Link nodded "Yes. Charlie informed me that Ganondorf forced them to help break out saska! He said Max was hit trying to escape from Jaska, Saska's twin sister."

Impa frowned. "That scum! I knew he couldn't be trusted! I'm not sure the king would believe me. He wants the allegiance between the gerudos and the Hylians to work."

Link was puzzled. "What do you suggest we do?"

"I'll keep an eye on him when he's at the castle. If he does anything suspicious, I'll inform the king!", replied Impa.

Link, Impa, Charlie and Navi headed to the guardhouse. Navi was worried about Max

"I hope we find your friend, Link. I know you guys are close friends."

Link smiled "thanks, Navi. So do I."

They started to head towards the guardhouse. When they got closer, Link, Charlie and Navi gasped. Max was standing in front of the guardhouse with two gerudos! Link approached Max.

"Max! Why are you with the enemy?"

"Jaska is my master", replied Max. "I will obey every command she gives me! I will also obey my other master Saska!"

Saska smiled at Link.

"Well, kid! Long time no see! Your friend here is with us now! You say his name is Max eh? That's good to know! Max! Attack the one with the fairy!"

"Yes, master!"

Max drew his scimitar he received from jaska earlier. He ran towards Link and started attacking with his sword. Link had his deku shield out trying to deflect the hits. Splinters of wood were flying everywhere. Charlie drew his sword and walked towards Max. He let his sword drop to the ground.

"I can't do it. He's my friend! I can't attack him!"

Impa threw something in Max's direction. It made a blinding flash on impact stunning Max. Link turned to impa.

"Thanks, Impa! That was good timing!"

Link turned to Charlie.

"Charlie, Max is being brainwashed! We have to defend ourselves! Please pick up your sword and try to help me!"

Charlie looked at Max. He was still stunned and stumbling around. Link was right. He would have to try to attack his friend Max! He only hoped that he wouldn't kill him. Charlie took a deep breath and picked up his weapon.

"I'm with you, Link! I'll try to help!"

Link looked at Max. He was recovering quickly.

"Thanks, Charlie. That's all I'm asking from you! Just try to help me! Watch my moves very closely and follow my lead."

Max shook his head and charged towards Link He swung at Link's head. Link deflected it with his deteriorating shield. Link yelled at Max.

"Max! It's me, Link! Your best friend! You gotta snap out of it! I don't want to hurt you!"

"But I want to hurt you!", replied Max.

Saska and Jaska stood to one side and watched as Link tried to reason with his brainwashed friend. Jaska giggled.

"Hee hee! No matter what he says, it won't break the spell put on Max! I learned that one from Lord Ganondorf himself!"

Saska smiled at her sister.

"So, do you think we should get involved now?"

Jaska shook her head.

"No. Let our new comrade fight them instead!"

Just then, Impa ran towards the two gerudo.

"You two are responsible for this! Release that boy from your mind control at once!"

Jaska Laughed at Impa.

"Now why would I do that? Our new comrade is doing very well! Lord Ganondorf will be pleased!"

"Fair enough. If you won't release him, I will fight you! En guarde!"

Impa pulled out a long sword. Jaska pulled out her saber. Impa and Jaska were dueling with blades. Impa swung at Jaska's head. Jaska deflected it with her blade. Impa decided to try a spin attack. She started to go around in circles with her blade. For a moment, it looked like Impa had eleven swords. Jaska leaped out of harm's way in the nick of time and swung her sword at Impa's head. Impa quickly finished her spin and rolled out of the way. Impa and Jaska were both getting tired. Neither wanted to give up, but both wanted to win. Saska was beginning to think that retreat was their best option.

"Saska! Let's get Max and get out of here!"

Jaska looked towards Max. He was still trying to kill Link. Charlie was trying to get some hits in, but Max would block them all. Jaska called to Max.

"Max! Let's go! We've fought enough for today!

"Yes, Master! I'm coming!"

Link was crestfallen.

"Wait! Max! Don't go with them! We are your friends."

Max turned to Link

"They are my masters. I must obey them", replied Max.

Max ran over to saska and Jaska. Impa was taunting Jaska.

"What's wrong, gerudo scum? No more fight left in you?"

"We will continue this fight another day!", replied Jaska.

Jaska reached into her pocket and threw something down in front of them. All three were gone. Link looked sad. Was he ever going to see his friend Max again? Was Max ever going to be normal again? Or was he corrupted by evil?

Back at Hyrule Castle, Ganondorf was sitting in a guest bedroom. Suddenly, a bright white light started to appear in front of him. Three figures appeared in front of Ganondorf. It was Jaska, Saska and Max.

"Nice of you two to drop in on me. Good to see you back, Captain Saska."

Saska bowed in front of Ganondorf.

"I only live to serve you, lord."

Ganondorf smiled "Excellent, lieutenant. The rescue mission was a success. But where is the other kid?"

Jaska smiled "The other one got away. But I was able to cast an allegiance spell at this one. Now he is against his friends and he listens to our word without question. He's completely loyal."

Ganondorf was pleased. "Excellent work. We have a new recruit. I will have to train this one to be evil like all of us gerudos. With a lot of training, we won't even need the allegiance spell!"

Jaska, Saska both laughed evilly at Ganondorf's evil plan. It was pure genious! When he was more evil, he could fight his friends again and maybe even kill one of them!

End of Chapter


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

After Max had joined the gerudos and made his escape with them, Impa continued to guide Link and Charlie out of the Hyrule Castle market. Link was really feeling down. Max was a close friend. He still couldn't believe that Max was an enemy now. What would he do if Max wanted to fight again? What if he killed Max? What if Max ended up almost killing him? Link didn't really want to imagine life without his friend Max, but now that he was evil, he almost felt dead to Link. Link let out a huge sigh and continued to follow Impa and Charlie out of town.

Ganondorf and Max were at the foot of Death Mountain. He used his teleport spell to get them there undetected. This was the home of the rock people, the Gorons. The gorons were all brown in color and their backs looked like rocks. When they rolled up, they looked like small boulders. Ganondorf's spy told him that there was a Spiritual Stone in this mountain. His spy had arranged a meeting with the Goron chief and Ganondorf at the entrance to the Dodongo's Cavern. The spy told the Goron chief that it was to be a peaceful discussion regarding an alliance between Gorons and Gerudos. The chief was hestistant, but after a few minutes of thought, he agreed. Ganondorf laughed. The foolish Gorons! This was a ruse to get the spiritual stone. A big muscular goron with long white hair and a long white beard walked down the path heading up to the mountain. Ganondorf assumed it was the chief. Ganondorf nudged Max.

"Hey, Max my boy! Watch what will happen if they refuse my terms! I want you to witness evil as a part of your training!"

Max turned to Ganondorf

"Yes, Lord! I will observe very carefully!"

Ganondorf walked up to the goron. The big goron looked at the stranger. He looked like a dangerous sort. Why would this strange human want to form an alliance with his people? He bowed to the stranger and greeted him.

"Greetings, Human! My name is Darunia! I am the chief of the Gorons. I was told by your associate that you wanted to talk about an alliance. I like the sound of that. Who is the smaller human with strange green glowing eyes behind you?"

Darunia pointed at Max. Ganondorf sneered at Darunia.

"He is my apprentice of evil! I brought him with me to learn what it really means to be evil!"

Darunia scratched his head in confusion.

"Evil? I thought we were here to talk about an alliance!"

Ganondorf laughed at Darunia.

"You old fool! That was just a lie to get you down here so I could offer you my ultimatum! Give me your Spiritual Stone! If you don't agree to my terms, I will show you just how evil I am! I will block off the entrance to this cave!"

Darunia looked at Ganondorf and attempted to punch him his face. When darunia punched, he only punched the air. He heard laughter above. He looked up and the stranger was above the Dodongo's Cavern. Darunia bellowed at him.

"I refuse your terms you dirty human! How dare you come here and threaten me like that! If I could get up there, there wouldn't be anything left of you for the Dodongos to feast on!"

Ganondorf grinned

"Temper temper, chief! You refused my terms! That was your biggest mistake! Say goodbye to your precious cave! Observe closely, Max!"

Max nodded at Ganondorf.

"Yes, my lord!"

Ganondorf found a huge boulder above the Dodongo's Cavern. Ganondorf held his hands out towards the boulder and began to concentrate. His hands started to glow red. Suddenly, a beam of energy came out of his hands and hit the boulder. The boulder turned red as well. Ganondorf grunted with exertion. The boulder actually started to lift! Ganondorf concentrated harder and he moved the boulder above the entrance to the Dodongo's Cavern and he released his hold on the boulder. The boulder came crashing down right in front of the entrance to the cavern. Ganondorf concentrated again and soon enough, Max was lifted up onto the ledge with him. Darunia gasped in shock. Ganondorf laughed aloud.

"Hahaha! What's wrong, goron? Was there something important in that cave?"

Darunai bellowed with rage.

"You filthy scum! That cave had our food supply in it!"

Both Max and Ganondorf laughed. Ganondorf offered his ultimatum again.

"Give me that stone, you talking rock! Then I will unblock the cave for you!"

Darunia was shaking with rage. His people now had no food! This human responsible wanted his people's treasure! No! He didn't care if his people starved or not! He wasn't about to hand over the Goron's Ruby to this evil stranger in black armor! Darunia bellowed at the stranger.

"You dirty human! I'd rather die than give you our treasure! Begone from our land!"

Ganondorf sniggered.

"You're a stubborn rock! So, you would rather die than give me your stone? What about your people? Will they share your view as well? I guess you'll find out! Hahaha!"

Ganondorf and Max disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

Darunia groaned. How was he going to explain their situation to his tribe? Was the stranger right? Would they share his point of view? He walked up to his home with his head held low. When he got back home, a group of gorons rolled up to him. They wanted to know how the alliance turned out. Darunia sighed heavily. One goron poked the goron chief in the shoulder

"Hey, brother! How did the alliance go? Are we allied with the gerudos now?"

Another small goron walked in front of Darunia.

"Hey, chief! Do the gerudos have any children to play with?"

Darunia sighed heavily with each question asked. One of the other gorons could tell something was wrong. He approached the goron chief.

"Hey, brother! What's wrong? Why are you not answering any questions and just sighing?"

Darunia couldn't take it anymore. He had to tell his people the truth.

"Everyone! Stop what you're doing and listen to me! The meeting was all a setup! He didn't want an alliance! All the strange human wanted was our treasure the Goron's Ruby! He blocked off the entrance to the Dodongo's Cavern when I refused to give him the stone. We may be facing starvation!"

Those words created a panic among the gorons.

"You should've just given him the stone, brother! At least we would still be eating tonight!", cried one of the panicked gorons.

"What's gonna happen to us? We are going to die off one by one!", cried another goron.

Darunia couldn't take all the crying anymore. He bellowed at his people.

"Everyone! Shut up! Do you hear me? I want you to listen to me very carefully! I want some of you to forage for edible rocks to eat! They may not be as good as the ones from our quarry in the Dodongo's cavern, but at least we won't starve! Everybody else, try to calm down. There is an old legend among our people. Legends say that when tragedy befalls us, a messenger from the Royal Family of Hyrule will come to save us! My sworn brother the king told me of this legend a few years back. I am going to my room. I am sealing it and I won't come out until the royal family messenger arrives!"

Darunia walked towards his room, leaving worried gorons in his wake. The gorons assigned to forage went to work. The remaining gorons couldn't believe his decision! Was he crazy? He was just going to seal his room off and wait for some sort of messenger from an old legend that may not be true? They hoped that the ones out foraging would find some food.

Impa guided Link and Charlie outside the castle town and headed left. She stopped and pointed straight ahead.

"See that path, lads? That leads to the village of Kakariko. That is where I was born and raised. Beyond the village is Death mountain, home of the gorons. They hold the Spiritual Stone of Fire. You should look around the village before going up the mountain."

She turned around and put a hand and Charlie's shoulder and another hand on Link's shoulder.

"Don't worry, lads! We will figure out how to break that spell that was cast on your friend Max! I'd better get back to the castle! We'll talk more later!"

Impa turned around and walked towards the castle town. Link and Charlie made their way towards Kakariko Village. They were both sad about their friend Max.

"Hey, Link! Do you think we will ever see Max back to normal?", asked Charlie.

Link sighed heavily. That same thought was like a lead weight in his stomach.

"I hope so, Charlie. I miss that guy already. I do hope he becomes cleansed of evil one day. We need our know-it-all buddy back! He didn't really like it here, but I tried to help him fit in. I think he was just starting to like it here." Link sighed. "And then, he gets captured and brainwashed to be evil! I feel like this is my fault! If I never fell in that hole, we wouldn't be in this mess right now! We would be at my real house playing the actual game, instead of living in it!"

Charlie felt sorry for Link. "Link! This isn't your fault at all! You didn't know that this was gonna happen! I still can't believe it happened! We just gotta take a deep breath and carry on! That's what Max would want us to do in his absence."

Link was feeling better. He looked over at Charlie and smiled.

"Thanks, buddy! You're absolutely right! Max wouldn't want us to stand here and feel sad. He would want us to carry on with our adventure without him! Max may not be with us today, but I know someday we will figure out a way to get him back to his old self! Let's carry on, my friend!"

Link and Charlie continued to walk towards Kakariko Village. They walked across a beautiful stone bridge and noticed the stream running through It looked cool and crystal clear. Link and Charlie knelt down to take a drink. It was cold and refreshing. After taking their drinks, they followed the path Impa had pointed out to them and entered Kakariko Village.

As soon as Link and Charlie entered the village, they immediately noticed how peaceful it was here. They continued to walk through the village when they bumped into a sharply dressed bald man with a mustache. The man was rather rude.

"Watch where you're going, brats! You're just about as clumsy as my good for nothing carpenters!"

"Excuse me sir, but who are you?", asked Link.

"My name's not important!", replied the man. "All you need to know is that I'm the boss of the carpenters here in this village. I want to try to make buildings in this village and turn it into a real city! I gave my workers the blueprints, but they are very lazy! They just running around the village and they aren't making any progress at all! Look at the building behind me!"

The man pointed to a partially finished building. There was a worker running across a beam on the building to drop off materials. The worker sat down and wiped off the sweat on his face. He saw the boss watching and he got back to work right away.

"That building is supposed to be a shooting gallery, but at this rate, it will take years for them to finish it!"

"Okay. I get it.", replied Link. "Why don't you help them to get it done faster instead of just standing here?"

The man started to shake with rage. Charlie nudged Link.

"This guy is gonna explode with anger! Let's go somewhere else!", said Charlie.

The man bellowed at the two kids.

"You two brats! Get back here! I'll show you what happens to you when you mouth off to me! Nobody insults the boss of the carpenters like that!"

He started to chase the kids when a worker stupidly commented on Link's suggestion.

"You know boss, he's right! Why don't you get up here and help us? We will get done a lot quicker!"

The Boss of the carpenters turned around and looked up at the unfortunate worker.

"That's it! I'm docking your pay! You are going to start earlier than everyone else tomorrow as well! Maybe next time, you'll keep your big mouth shut!"

The worker groaned aloud.

"Aw come on, boss! I was only kidding!"

The man glared up at the worker.

"If you don't shut up right now and get back to work, I'm gonna suspend you without pay!"

Link and Charlie walked over to a well. They looked down it and it looked bottomless. Suddenly, they heard cries from a nearby woman.

"Oh no! What am I gonna do? They got out again!"

Link and Charlie walked over to the woman.

"Excuse me ma'am? Do you need help with something?", asked Link politely.

"Yes! Yes I do! My chickens got away on me! I can't touch them due to my allergies. Will you please help?"

Link nodded at the woman.

"Of course. Me and Charlie will help find them!"

The woman was relieved.

"Oh thank you! There are ten altogether. When you find them, please put them in this cage!"

The woman pointed to a nearby steel cage.

Luckily, some of them weren't far from the cage. Within minutes, they found four chickens close by. However, they were difficult to catch. Link cornered them while Charlie grabbed them. They struggled a lot. Charlie ran over to the cage and dropped them in. He had scratches all down his one arm. Charlie asked the woman if there was an easier way. She handed him a net.

"Try this. I've had to use it to catch them before. They are getting far too fast for me though."

Charlie grabbed the net and went over to Link.

"Here, link! I got a easier way to catch them! Hopefully they don't claw their way out!"

Link took the net from Charlie.

"Okay buddy! Let's go on a chicken hunt!"

Link and Charlie heard some nearby clucking. They crept towards the sound and they saw a chicken up on a ledge in front of an old house. Link swung the net quickly and caught the chicken. The net started to wiggle and move about. Link ran over to the cage and dropped the chicken off. Five more to find. Charlie and Max walked through the village and came up to another larger house. There was a shrub beside the house and it was moving and making clucking noises. Link threw the net in the shrub and two chickens ran out. Charlie managed to stop the one, but the other one ran off towards the village entrance. Link ran after it while Charlie carefully picked up the other chicken and took it to the cage. Link almost had the chicken cornered when it suddenly dashed between Link's legs. This one was being stubborn! Link Ran after it. Charlie came around the corner and ran towards it. The chicken ran right into Charlie's legs. The force of the impact stunned the chicken. Charlie picked it up and carried it over to the cage. The woman gasped in shock. Charlie shook his head.

"Don't worry. It isn't dead. It's just knocked out."

The woman sighed with relief.

"That's good. I thought he was dead."

Just then, the carpenter boss came around the corner holding a chicken. He put it in the cage.

"You gotta keep these things locked up tighter, Anju! I'm tired of going on a chicken hunt almost everyday!"

Anju looked at him with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mutoh! I'm not trying to let them out! By the way, I heard you gave Shiro a hard time before! Was that really Needed?"

Mutoh looked at Anju.

"Of course it was! He was badmouthing me!"

Anju was about to say something more to Mutoh when Shiro came walking up from behind the unfinished building. He had a chicken in his hands.

"Here you are, Anju! I almost sat on this chicken!"

Mutoh put a hand on Shiro's shoulder. Shiro was an obedient carpenter. He had brown curly hair and he wore a worn blue shirt and tattered green pants. His big black boots set him apart from the rest of the carpenters. Mutoh was beginning to think he was a little hard on Shiro.

"Listen, Shiro. Forget what I said before. I'm not gonna dock your pay and you can sleep in if you want tomorrow. Keep up the good work and try not to mouth off again all right?"

Shiro looked at Mutoh and smiled at him.

"Thanks, boss! I'm really grateful! Wait until I tell Jiro, Ichiro and Sabooro the good news!"

Shiro ran off to tell his fellow workers that he was off the hook.

Link looked at Anju.

"So we need two more chickens now?"

Anju counted them. "Yes that's right."

"Don't bother looking!", said someone close by.

Jiro and Ichiro walked up to Anju carrying a chicken each.

"These two got into our tools. We tried to shoo them away, but they started to peck us. Try to keep these guys more secure, Anju!", said Jiro.

Anju was overjoyed. She had all her chickens back thanks to everyone's help.

"Thanks for the help, everyone! Link, I know it's not much, but I want you to have this bottle!"

Anju handed Link a bottle.

"Thanks a lot, Anju! Me and Charlie appreciate it!"

Charlie and Link asked which way Death Mountain was. Anju pointed to the right of them up a small flight of stairs.

"That's the way you want to go. You might not get there though. There is a gate blocking access to Death Mountain. You need the King's permission first."

"That's okay. We got something just as good."

Link handed Anju a letter wrote by and signed by Princess Zelda herself! Anju was amazed.

"What the? How did you get this?"

"I can't tell you. It's a secret!", replied Link.

Link and Charlie walked up the small flight of stairs and approached the gate. There was a guard standing to one side of the gate. The gurard walked over to Charlie and Link.

"The road is closed beyond this point! Can't you read the sign over there?"

He pointed to a sign on the right hand side.

"Oh wait! You're only a kid and you can't read yet! Hahaha!"

Link was getting annoyed.

"Look buddy, just shut up and read this!"

Link handed him the letter Princess Zelda gave him. He Read it over.

"_This is Link. He is under my orders to save Hyrule_

_Princess Zelda"_

The guard could hardly contain himself. He burst out laughing at the letter.

"Waahaaahaaa! What kind of silly game is the princess playing? Okay you can go through after you get a proper shield, Mr. Hero! Hahaha! Your shield won't be able to withstand the heat of the mountain or the giant boulders that fly out of that volcano! Go to the bazaar in Hyrule Castle Town and get a Hylian Shield! Tell the guy in there that I sent you. He should give you a discount! Your friend should get one too! I'll see you when you come back, Mr. Hero! Hahahaha!"

Charlie and Link turned around and started to walk back out of town and towards Hyrule Castle Town again. All that could be heard was the gate guard's hysterical laughter behind them.

End of Chapter


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Ganondorf and Max were back at Hyrule Castle. Ganondorf wanted to make Max more evil and take off the allegiance spell. He wanted to make sure he wasn't caught by the castle guards experimenting with his magic. He sent his spy out to find Captain Saska and Lieutenant Jaska. Before long, there was a bright glow in Ganondorf's bedroom. Ganondorf shielded his eyes and when the glow subsided, Saska and Jaska were standing in front of him. They bowed to Ganondorf.

"What do you need, Lord?", asked Saska.

Ganondorf smiled at the gerudo twins.

"You two have perfect timing as usual! I want you to guard my bedroom! Don't let anybody in here! I am going to cast a spell on you two to make you look like you belong here!"

Ganondorf held out his hand towards Jaska and Saska and a white blast of magic shot out of his hand and struck the pair, creating a lot of smoke. When the smoke cleared, Saska and Jaska looked like Hyrule Castle soldiers! They looked at each other and looked at Ganondorf.

"What a great idea, Lord! Nobody will suspect who we really are!", said Jaska.

Ganondorf smiled.

"That's the idea. Now, I want you two out of here guarding this door! If anyone Comes by, tell them I am working on a new weapon for the Armory and I must not be disturbed!"

The two saluted and walked out into the castle hall.

Ganondorf Turned towards Max. He had a brilliant idea he wanted to try.

"Max, I want to try and channel some of my evil energy inside of you! I don't want those former friends of yours breaking the allegiance spell that was cast on you! When I'm done, hopefully you won't need that spell any longer! Now Brace yourself, Max. This may hurt."

"Yes, Master. I'm ready."

Ganondorf began to focus his energy.. He held out both hands towards Max and concentrated. Suddenly, Ganondorf shot a black bolt of energy in Max's direction. It struck Max and he yelled in pain. Ganondorf focused harder and suddenly, the black bolt of energy became a steady bolt. Ganondorf was channeling his own dark energy into Max. Ganondorf noticed that Max started to scream. Ganondorf was getting tired. He squinted his eyes and looked at Max.

"I'm almost done, my boy! Hang in there! One more minute!"

After what seemed like an eternity, Ganondorf Terminated the chaneling. He was now breathing heavy after the whole experiment. Max had passed out from it. Ganondorf noticed that Max's hair was now black instead of blonde. Ganondorf took the allegiance spell off Max. He then went over to Max and tried to revive him. He was curious if his experiment was a success or not.

"Max! Wake up! Your lord commands it!"

Max opened his eyes slowly. He noticed his chest hurt a lot, but he felt different. He didn't care about being stuck in this world any longer. He lived only to serve the Lord Ganondorf. He got up slowly and bowed to Ganondorf.

"Thank you, lord! I am awake now and I feel like causing mayhem!"

Ganondorf Laughed evilly. His experiment was a success! No longer was this kid under mind control! He was truly evil! Ganondorf decided to test him with some questions in case he didn't channel enough evil energy into him.

"So, Max? What do you think of your former friends?

Max laughed at Ganondorf.

"Do you mean that idiot with the dozy fairy? Or do you mean the other loser with red hair? Either way, I want to eliminate them both! They aren't my friends anymore! I despise them! My lord, I wish to offer my thanks for making me evil!"

Ganondorf smiled. So far, so good. He hated his former friends. Not only that, but he also wanted to kill them!

"No problem. If you hate your former friends so much, I want you to prove it to me. I want you to go and take care of them for me! You still have your sword and I gave you some spells as well through the channeling. Get to it, Max! You can teleport freely as well!"

Max bowed to Ganondorf and was getting ready to leave when Ganondorf put a hand on Max's shoulder.

"Hang on, Max! I want to make you some better clothing! That Kokiri outfit looks kind of childish."

Link and Charlie were on their way back to Hyrule Castle Town to get better shields. They just exited Kakariko Village when suddenly, Charlie saw something strange. He pointed it out to Link.

"Hey, Link. Where is that white glow coming from? Those trees ahead of us are reflecting something!"

Link and Charlie walked over to investigate the source of the glow when suddenly, Max walked out from behind the trees! Link looked closely at him. He looked different. His hair was now black instead of blonde and he was wearing a suit of black armor! Max walked towards Link.

"Hey, Link! Charlie! Long time no see! I'm afraid I'm not here to rejoin you. I am here to eliminate you! My lord Ganondorf channeled his own evil energy inside of me! Now I don't have to worry about anybody breaking that annoying allegiance spell! Draw your sword, Link! Let's see how you fight against me now!"

Link drew his weapon. Charlie followed suit. Link tried reasoning with Max.

"Come on, Max! I'm your friend remember? I don't want to fight you! I don't care what Ganondorf did to you! You gotta remember the fun times we had together!"

Max laughed at Link.

"That doesn't matter anymore, Link! I'm not your friend anymore! I despise you and your loser friend! I no longer wish to return to our reality. I want to stay here as a servant of evil!"

Link didn't know what to think. He had to defend himself against Max. Link taunted Max.

"If that's the way it's gonna be, then bring it on, Max!"

Max drew his sword and charged at Link with his sword held out in front of him. Link rolled out of the way not a moment too soon. Charlie tried to strike Max from behind. Max Jumped clear out of the way. Max started to mumble strange words. He held out his hand and a fire bolt shot out it! Link gasped in shock and narrowly dodged it. Max knew how to use spells too? Just what kind of energy did Ganondorf Channel into him? Link decided to use a thrust attack with his sword. He got really close and used his thrust attack. Max blocked it with his sword. Nothing seemed to be working. Link decided to use a spin attack. Maybe it would disarm Max instead of killing him. Link started going in circles with his blade. Faster and faster he went, moving towards Max. Max muttered strange words again and shot a fireball at Link! It caught Link in his chest! Link stopped spinning and gasped. He looked down at his chest and he had a black spot right in the center of his chest from the fireball. His chest took the full impact of the fireball. Link screamed in agony. His chest was seriously burned. It felt like someone drove a red hot poker into his chest. He collasped on the ground.

Charlie gasped in disbelief. Link was seriously hurt or possibly dead! He looked at Max in anger.

"You bastard! How could you do that to your own friend? You killed link!"

Max grinned evilly.

"Yes I did. Now it's your turn, Charlie boy!"

Max roared and ran towards Charlie. Charlie lost his nerve and began to run away. Charlie ran faster than he ever ran in his life. He looked behind and he realized that Max was gaining on him! It would only be a matter of time now. Charlie began to run towards the Castle Town. He was yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Help me! I am being chased by an evil maniac! He's trying to kill me!"

Suddenly, six or seven guards came running out of the castle. They were being lead by a guard in fancy armor on a horse. They started to close in on Charlie's position. Charlie ran towards them with Max hard on his heels. Max was starting to realize that he would soon be outnumbered almost ten to one. He stopped running after Charlie and yelled at him.

"This isn't over, Charlie! Someday when you're alone, you're going to die by my hand! I swear it! Have fun burying Link! Hahahaha!"

Max disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Charlie sighed with relief. He turned to the gurards.

"Thank you so much! You just saved my life! He knew he would be outnumbered and he took off!"

The one guard on the horse saluted him

"Anytime, civilian! My name is Captain Viscen! You are lucky to be alive, lad. My guard squad and I were doing a patrol around town when we heard your shouting."

Charlie gasped. He had almost forgotten about Link!

"Nice to meet you, sir! I have a friend who is gravely injured! Follow me!"

Charlie led the guards over to Link's limp body. Captain Viscen looked him over. He had a very serious burn in the center of his chest the size of a small shield in width. He looked at Charlie sadly.

"I think your friend may be dead. I'm sorry."

Suddenly, Link's hand grabbed onto Viscen's arm.

"Help...Me...Please..."

Viscen looked at Charlie.

"Your friend is barely alive. My soldiers will carry him to the Castle Town. There is a very skilled doctor nearby."

Charlie was stunned with shock. Was Link gonna make it? Or would Max's fire ball prove fatal?

Back at Hyrule Castle, Ganondorf was in his room waiting for Max's return. Did he accomplish his mission? Suddenly, a white ball of light appeared in Ganondof's room and slowly got bigger. A figure walked out of it and it was Max. Ganondorf was overjoyed.

"Max my boy! You've returned! Did you accomplish your mission? Are your former friends dead?"

Max bowed his head in shame.

"Not quite, my lord. I killed one, but the other one yelled for assistance and alerted the Castle Town guards. I was outnumbered, so I had to retreat."

Ganondorf smiled at Max. He may not have accomplished his mission completely, but at least he proved he was evil by killing one of his former friends!

"You have done well, Max! We will kill the other one some other time. You made a wise move by retreating when you were outnumbered. How did you kill the one?"

Max smiled. "I tossed a fire ball at him and it caught him in the chest while he was performing a spin attack. His chest took most of the impact."

Ganondorf was beginning to really like this kid. He was evil to the core! He had a thought about his future. What if he adopted him as his son? Surly they would be an unstoppable evil duo! Ganondorf could teach him all he knew about magic and how to strike more efficiently with weapons.

"Hey, Max! I want to tell you something!"

Max looked at Ganondorf.

"What is it, my lord?"

Ganondorf smiled.

"Don't call me my lord any longer. Call me Father. From this day forth, I am adopting you as my son!"

Max gasped. He couldn't believe what Ganondorf just said! He wanted him to be his son! Max bowed to Ganondorf.

"Sounds good to me, Father!"

Ganondorf laughed at Max's statement.

"Well said, my boy! I want you to take a rest! You've earned it!"

Max smiled. He needed a break after chasing Charlie.

"Thank you, Father!"

Max laid down on a nearby bed and went to sleep.

Ganondorf looked at him as he slept.

"Rest well, my son. Soon, you and I will rule this world!"

End of chapter


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The castle soldiers were carrying Link to the castle town to see a doctor who was apparently the best doctor around. Charlie was curious about this doctor. Could he treat Link's wound and get him back on his feet? Charlie decided to ask Captain Viscen about the doctor.

"Hey, Captain? Who is this doctor you're taking my friend to? Is he as good as you say?"

Viscen smiled.

"Of course he is, lad! He's the best doctor in the land! His name is Doctor Frederick. He helped me out three years ago when I took an arrow to the leg from an enemy raid. I was a Lieutenant then. My Captain told me I may never walk properly again due to that arrow. I was treated at the castle and the nurse there at the time told me of a legendary doctor who would be able to fix my leg up so I could walk properly again. She told me that she could take the arrow out, but I might have a permanent limp. She bandaged it up and I took her advice and went to this doctor. He used different herbs and salves and about a week later, I could walk fine! My wound was almost healed and I didn't have any trouble walking. I walked up to my Captain after I was better and he looked at my leg and he just laughed and called me a lucky bastard."

Charlie sighed with relief. "So this doctor should be able to help Link! That's great news!"

Viscen sighed. "There's one thing I never told you, lad. I had to pay him a lot of money to fix me up like he did! I had to pay him 350 rupees just to fix my leg up! He will probably want a lot of rupees to fix up your friend. Be warned!"

Charlie sighed. He had a feeling his work wouldn't be cheap. Where was he gonna find money if it was expensive? Charlie started to think. Of Course! Link had most of that lottery money he and Max had won! Charlie tapped Captain Viscen on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir! Can we stop for one minute? I have to check my friend's tunic for his wallet!"

Viscen had a grim look on his face.

"Okay, lad. Just don't be long. Your friend is in very bad shape and he needs medical attention immediately!"

Viscen reached in his pocket and brought forth a whistle. He blew it and the rest of the guards stopped where they were.

"Okay, men! We are stopping momentarily because Charlie here has to check his friend's tunic for his wallet!"

Charlie walked over to Link. He looked pale and lifeless. Charlie was hoping this doctor would be able to help his friend. Charlie checked Link's bottom right pocket that was mere inches away from the burn on his chest and he found Link's wallet!

"I found it, captain! Let's keep going! I don't like how pale link is looking!"

Viscen blew the whistle again and everyone resumed the walk into castle town.

Charlie started to count Link's money and he realized he still had 400 rupees! Charlie sighed with relief. He had 50 rupees in his pocket besides. Altogether, he hoped it would be enough for Link's bill when they got there.

When they entered castle town, everyone began to crowd around them to look at Link. They started to gasp in horror at the injury Link sustained. Viscen knew they had no time for this.. He blew his whistle to dismiss the people.

"Move along, everyone! We gotta get this boy to a doctor right away!"

Charlie followed Viscen and his guard squad. They went into the back alleyway of the castle town and headed for an old house with a small red cross above the door. When they entered, they were greeted by an old grizzled man with glasses and a long white beard. He shook hands with Viscen.

"Lieutenant Viscen! It's been quite a while! How's the leg I treated holding up?"

Viscen smiled. The old doctor hadn't changed a bit.

"The leg's fine. Thank you, Frederick. The rank has changed over the years. I'm a captain now. I brought you a patient. He needs medical attention at once!"

Viscen led Doctor Frederick over to the guards carrying Link. Link was looking very pale. Frderick examined Link. He then turned to Viscen.

"It's a good thing you brought this child here when you did. He wouldn't have lasted much longer with that chest injury. He is barely alive as it is. I will treat him. But first, I'm gonna need payment for my work. Since it's you Viscen, I'm going to give out a discount. Give me 300 rupees and I will get to work on this child's injury."

Charlie handed Frederick exactly 300 rupees. Frederick smiled at him.

"Thank you, child. Now, I need to get to work! Set the child on the bed beside you. Come back tomorrow afternoon to check on my progress!"

Viscen led Charlie out of the infirmary.

"You heard the doctor, lad. Let's go!" He turned to his squad. "That goes for the rest of you as well! Move out!"

Charlie walked outside. It was going to be lonely without Link for company. Viscen patted Him on the back.

"Don't you worry, lad! Your friend is in good hands! Me and my squad are going to head back to the castle now! Is there anything else you need from us?"

Charlie smiled at Captain Viscen. Him and his squad were a huge help. Link might've died if they didn't carry him here. Hell, He would be dead if Viscen and his guard squad didn't show up when they did! Max was getting closer to catching Charlie when they heard his cries for help.

"No thanks, Captain. Thank you very much for you and your squad's help."

Viscen blew his whistle again. He turned to his guards.

"Alright, guys! Move out! Let's return to the castle and report in!"

Viscen and his squad marched towards the castle and in minutes, they were out of town.

Charlie turned around and sighed. What was he going to do while he waited for the doctor to fix up his friend? Just then, Charlie started to wonder something. Where was Navi during this whole incident? He never heard or saw Navi at all! Charlie sat down to think about it when suddenly, Navi came out of nowhere!

"There you are, Charlie! I've been looking for you and Link!"

Charlie was confused.

"Excuse me Navi, but where were you? Where did you just fly from?"

Navi was puzzled.

"I flew back to Kokiri Forest to check to see how everyone was holding up. Didn't I tell you guys? I left after you two were done helping to catch those chickens!"

Charlie was mad at Navi. She took off back to the forest when they could've used her help!

"No, Navi! You never told us! You just took off without saying a word! And guess what? While you were gone, link was almost killed!"

"WHAT?", screamed Navi. "Are you serious? How? And when?"

"Earlier today, me and Link were walking towards castle town to get better shields when we were ambushed by Max. He is Crazy! Apparently, Ganondorf channeled some of his evil energy into him and made him a psychotic killer! He intended to kill Link! He shot a fire ball at him and it got him right in the chest full force! He thought link was dead and then he started to chase after me! I ran for my life and shouted for help. I was saved by Captain Viscen and his soldiers. They carried Link here and he is now in a infirmary being treated."

Navi couldn't believe what she just heard! While she was gone, Link was almost killed! She started to feel bad about the whole thing. Worst of all, Max was an evil maniac of some sort! Navi started to cry.

"I'm sorry, Charlie! I never meant to cause all of this trouble! Honest! From now on, I'll never leave you guys again!"

Charlie smiled at Navi

"Thanks, Navi. That's good to hear. I'm still worried about Max's threat. He said someday if I was alone, he would find me and kill me! I can't believe how much Max changed after Ganondorf channeled his evil energy into him. I don't know that guy anymore. I guess when Link's better, we will have to watch our backs!"

Charlie stretched and looked at Navi.

"I'm just glad I'm not burying Link today!"

The doctor was getting to work on his patient. He took off the tunic and laid it beside him. He then soaked the wound with water and a towel to get it cleaned up. He took some Pennywort, Yarrow and Arnica and grinded it together. He then took some water and made a paste. He spread it along Link's chest wound and then he carefully bandaged the wound up. He tied the bandages around Link's back and sat down and took his glasses off to rub his eyes. He had to look through various medical tomes to find a treatment for chest wounds. Frederick was sure that this child would be alright after three or four days of rest

It was nightfall and Charlie was feeling sleepy. He went to the nearby inn with Navi and paid the innkeeper for a bed to sleep on. He then went to sleep. His body was completely relaxed, but his mind wasn't. He was wondering how Link was doing. Did the doctor fix Link up? Was Link going to up and about shortly? Charlie was worried that Link may be bedridden for a week or so. What if Max decided to attack again? If he saw Link all bandaged up and sleeping, he may try to finish Link off while he's weak. Charlie felt angry at the thought of it. He would defend Link if it came to that. He wouldn't let Max hurt Link any more than he already did! Charlie's eyes were dropping. He drifted off into slumber, still thinking about defending Link if anything bad happened.

Darunia's forage party yielded good results. They had found a large quantity of edible rocks at the entrance to Kakariko Village! Together, they hauled the rocks into their home. Darunia unsealed his door temporarily to take a look at the rocks that were discovered. He bit into one. They were a little bitter, but anything was better than starving to death. Her looked at his people.

"Come on, everyone! Eat up! You have to keep your strength up! These rocks will last us a couple of days if we are careful! We have to think of a way to remove that boulder, but I am tired now. We will look into it tomorrow! I am unsealing my room for the time being. If you need to talk, come see me!"

Darunia walked back to his room and shut the door lightly instead of sealing it up again.

The next morning, Charlie was anxious to see Link. He walked out of the inn and headed towards the back alleyway. He found the infirmary and opened the door. Doctor Frederick was still asleep. Charlie walked over and tapped Frederick on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, Doctor Frederick?"

Frederick jumped out of his bed. Charlie had scared him.

"Geez, child! Don't do that to me! I'm an old man you know! What can I do for you?"

"Well, I want to see my friend. Is that alright?", asked Charlie.

"It may be too early to wake him. He may not wake up yet. That was quite the injury! You may try to wake him if you wish."

Charlie walked over to him. He looked a lot better. The color had come back to his skin. It was no longer pale. Charlie shook Link gently.

"Link! Wake up! It's Charlie!"

Link opened his eyes slowly. He glanced around. He had no idea where he was.

"Charlie! Is that you, buddy?", asked Link weakly.

"Yea it's me. Glad to see you awake. I thought Max killed you."

Just as Charlie said that, Link had a flashback of the fight between him and Max. He was looking at Max with his sword at the ready. He was beginning to perform a spin attack. He started the spin attack when he saw a fire ball coming towards him. It hit him right in the chest. He looked down at the wound and screamed. He could hear himself screaming in pain. He could hear evil laughter nearby and someone shouting in the distance. Suddenly, everything started to fade and go black. Charlie snapped Link out of it.

"Link! Are you okay?"

Link sat up slowly. He groaned in pain. He looked over at Charlie.

"I just had a flashback of the fight between me and Max! It was very disturbing. Anyway, thanks a lot, Charlie. I owe you my life."

"No you don't", said Charlie. "You owe your life to Captain Viscen and his guard squad. If they didn't hear my cries, you would've never made it here! I might've been dead myself if not for them. After he thought you were dead, Max turned to me and started to run towards me with his blade drawn in front of him."

"Did you try and fight him?", asked Link weakly.

Charlie bowed his head in shame.

"No, Link I didn't. I just ran. I have never been so frightened in my whole life! I ran away from him and he chased me and tried to catch me. As soon as Captain Viscen and his squad heard my cries, they ran out of castle town. Viscen was on horseback. Anyway, Max saw them and he realized he was outnumbered and he fled. He vowed he would kill me one day and he told me to have fun burying you!"

Charlie began to cry. Link tried to calm him down.

"It's okay, Charlie. Don't worry about Max. As soon as I'm better, I have a score to settle with that jackass! You did the right thing by running away. Don't be ashamed by it. You're a good friend, Charlie. Not everybody can go into a battle completely fearless. As soon as I feel better, I'll train you if you want."

Charlie wasn't sure if he wanted to be a fighter or not. He smiled at Link.

"Sure thing, Link. Now, I'm gonna leave and let you rest. Get well soon, buddy. I'll talk to you later."

Charlie walked out of the infirmary. Link smiled. He was such a great guy visiting him when he was wounded. Link groaned weakly and closed his eyes and went to sleep.

End of Chapter


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Darunia woke up early the next morning. He was determined to break that boulder. He walked out of his room and went over to where his people were sleeping. Most gorons didn't care about having a room. Darunia's people were the same. They would curl into a ball and fall fast asleep almost anywhere in his people's city. Darunia walked over and roared at the top of his voice.

"Rise and shine, my brothers! Today is the day we break that boulder in front of the Dodongo's Cavern!"

The gorons uncurled themselves and yawned. Some of them were even stretching their legs. Darunia was getting impatient. He looked towards them and urged them to get moving.

"Come on, brothers! We can't sit here and yawn and stretch all day! Let's go outside and take a closer look at this boulder and see if we can break it!"

Darunia and his people were at the foot of Death Mountain looking at the huge boulder Ganondorf had placed there. Most of the gorons groaned loudly. How were they ever going to move that? It was a gigantic boulder! Even the strongest goron would never be able to lift anything this large. Darunia turned to his people.

"I have an idea, brothers! We will take turns hammering at this huge rock with our fists and see if we can't put a dent in it! We have to think of a way to break it! If we don't, we may die from starvation!"

Just as those words left Darunia's mouth, a couple of gorons roared and ran up to the boulder and started punching it with all the strength they could muster. Darunia was pleased. They were really pounding at the boulder. Chunks of rock were flying everywhere. About twenty minutes later, the gorons needed a break. They were pounding steady at the boulder and they only made a small dent in it. They sat down and two more gorons took their place. Darunia kept repeating this process all through the morning.

By midmorning, all the gorons including Darunia were tired from pounding at the boulder. Altogether, they made a sizeable dent in the boulder, but they were far from breaking through. Darunia rounded up his people and talked to them. He wanted to keep their spirits up.

"Good work, brothers! If we keep this up, we will get through it! Don't give up, everyone! We will come back later after we rest up! Now, let's go eat some of those rocks our foragers found before!"

One of the younger gorons coplained.

"But those rocks taste aweful, chief. Besides, there isn't many left!"

Darunia frowned at the goron.

"Don't you think I know that, Argus? That's why we must eat carefully until we either break through that rock or think of something else! As for the taste, it's better than starving to death! I know they have a bitter taste! But unless you can find rocks that taste better that aren't behind a big boulder, keep quiet and quit complaining already!"

Argus shuffled his feet in embarrassment.

"Sorry, chief. You're right. I'll try to quit complaining."

Darunia smiled and patted him lightly on the back. Darunia was a good natured leader to his people. He tried not to get angry unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Don't worry about it, Argus. We all feel the same way. We just have to try and keep our strength up and hopefully, we will find a solution to our problem."

Darunia and his people made their way back up to their cave.

Navi was feeling nervous. She wanted to visit Link, but she didn't want Link to yell at her for deserting. She flew around the inn to look for Charlie, but he wasn't in there. She flew out of the inn and flew into the back alleyway. She spotted Charlie leaving a house with a red cross above the door. She flew up to him.

"There you are! I've been looking for you! Where have you been?", asked Navi.

Charlie looked confused. Why was Navi looking for him? He decided to approach the question casually.

"Oh you know. I was just seeing how Link was doing. Why were you looking for me?"

Navi sighed and flew over to Charlie and landed on his shoulder.

"I'm too nervous to visit Link, Charlie. I know he's gonna yell at me for deserting you guys when you could've used my help!"

Charlie sighed. He knew this might happen. Navi felt responsible for what happened to Link. Charlie tried to reassure her that it wasn't her fault.

"Listen, Navi. It wasn't your fault that Link was hurt. It's true that you shouldn't have taken off on us like that until you were sure we knew about it, but I don't think that would've been able to stop Max anyways. He's pure evil now and intent on killing me! He probably still believes Link is dead though. Anyways, go and talk to Link. He's just inside. Try to make it brief though. He's still weak."

Navi flew off of Charlie's shoulder as he walked away. She went into the doctor's office. The door was left ajar. She immediately saw Link sleeping on a bed groaning softly. She flew over to him and landed on his bed. She tried talking to Link quietly.

"Hey, Link. How are you feeling?"

Link groaned and sat up. He Looked at Navi in confusion.

"Oh hello, Navi. I haven't seen you in awhile. Where have you been?"

Navi laughed nervously.

"Well Link, I came here to confess something to you."

Link narrowed his eyes. "Go on."

Navi cleared her throat nervously. She didn't really want to tell Link about abandoning him before.

"Well you see, I kinda left to visit the Kokiri while you and Charlie were in Kakariko. I just got back here yesterday. Please try not to get too angry at me, Link!"

Link looked at Navi with anger. He almost ended up getting killed by Max! He could've used Navi's advice and insight at the time of the confrontation.

"Navi you idiot! We could've used your help! Why did you desert us like that?"

Navi felt saddened. She knew Link would be angry. Navi started to apologize to Link.

"I'm very sorry, Link. I didn't know this would happen to you. If I did, I would've stayed with you! I'm Sorry, okay? I promise I'll never do it again without asking you guys if it's okay!"

Link frowned. Navi sounded like she was sorry about deserting. He decided to forgive her.

"Well, the damage is done. There's nothing you can do about it now. Fine, Navi. I forgive you. Just in the future, try not to do anything foolish like that again! When I get better, we are going to climb Death Mountain and obtain that Spiritual Stone! I want you with Charlie and you guys are going to keep watch for Max. I don't want him to ambush us again. If he shows his face around me again, I want to be ready this time! Things will turn out different next time, Navi. I can promise you that!"

Navi smiled at Link. She admired his strong spirit. She was very relieved that all was forgiven between them. He no longer looked like a stupid dozy kid anymore in her eyes. He was becoming wise and strategic. Navi didn't doubt his word. She knew he would get revenge on the person who almost killed him and put him in the hospital.

Back at Hyrule Castle, Saska and Jaska went for a walk after Ganondorf's experiment was complete. Neither of them knew what the experiment was, but they figured they would get told eventually. Both were still in their guard disquises in case they alerted any of the guards that chased Saska the other day. They were walking down a long corridor in the castle looking at the different portaits of beautiful landscapes mounted on the walls. There was even a portrait of Gerudo Valley. They both assumed the King of Hyrule or one of his ancesters must have been there at one point. They were both walking and looking at the portraits when they bumped right into Captain Viscen! Captain Viscen shook his head and got up off the floor. He looked down at the two unusual guards that were helping each other to get up off the floor. There was something odd about these two, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He addressed the two guards casually.

"Hi, lads. Where are you two off to?"

Saska answered for them both. She stammered as she answered.

"W-Well, w-we were...looking for you! Where do you want us to patrol? We um... got seperated from our group."

Viscen shook his head at the pair. Such disrespect! They never called him by his rank or even by name for that matter! He decided to give them a lecture about respect to those higher in the ranks.

"Listen, you two! Stand to attention! When you are addressing someone like me, call them by their rank! I've never heard such disrespect in quite some time. What do you two have to say for yourselves?"

Saska laughed nervously. She had no idea who this grouchy guy was, but he was beginning to make her mad. She tried to apologize.

"Uh, sorry, sir! We never meant to be disrespectful! Uh, what is your name again?"

That was enough for Viscen. He couldn't believe they didn't know who he was! He was the captain of the guard! He shouted at the two.

"What do you mean you don't know who I am? I am the captain of the guard god dammit! You two are going to the jail until you learn proper respect when talking to an officer!"

Saska knew they were in trouble! She and Jaska had to make a run for it! They could head to Ganondorf's room. They would be safe there. Captain Viscen was getting ready to escort the two to the prison when Saska turned around and faced Viscen.

"You fool! We are not going to your jail! Sister! Hold your breath!"

Jaska held her breath in confusion. Saska reached into her pocket and brought forth a small round glass ball of some sort. It was glowing green. Viscen looked at it in confusion.

"What do you have there, whelp?"

Saska grinned evilly.

"Only knockout gas! That's all! Say goodnight, sir!"

Saska held her breath and threw the ball on the floor. It exploded and green gas formed around them. Captain Viscen started to cough violently and he fell to the floor unconscious. Saska grabbed Jaska's arm and led her away from the cloud of green smoke. Once clear, both exhaled loudly. Saska looked over at her sister. She held her breath much longer. She was breathing heavy. Saska called her over.

"Okay, sister! Let's get back to Lord Ganondorf and see if he will show us his experiment!"

Ganondorf was sitting in a chair in his room relaxing and feeling happy. He never thought his experiment would be such a huge success. He looked over towards Max. He was sleeping in Ganondorf's bed. The kid deserved the rest after killing one of his former friends. He couldn't be more proud of him. Just then, someone knocked on his door.

"Yes? Who is it? I asked not to be disturbed!"

Saska answered her lord.

"Lord, it's me and Jaska! We've returned from our walk!"

Ganondorf got up and opened the door. Two hyrule soldiers walked in. Ganondorf thought he had been fooled!

"What is this? You aren't who you say you are! Leave my room at once!"

Saska tried convincing him that they were really Saska and Jaska.

"Sir, it's really us! You wanted us to look like the hyrule soldiers remember?"

Ganondorf smiled. He had almost forgotten about that!

"Oh yes! My apologies! I forgot! Hold still! I will take those disguises off!"

Ganondorf shot a beam of energy out of his hand at them. They turned and looked at each other and they were their old selves again! They sighed with relief! Saska thanked Ganondorf for ridding them of those annoying disguises.

"Thank you, Lord! We had a run in with the captain of the guard. He tried to arrest us! We escaped by using knockout gas!"

Ganondorf frowned. "You fools! That is going to arouse the whole guard in this castle! They will be looking for you two! If they find you looking like your old selves, we may be in trouble! Hmm! If I can find him quickly, I may be able to blank his memory of his encounter with you two! Where is he?"

"He is one floor down! Hopefully he hasn't been found yet!", ,replied Jaska.

Ganondorf disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

Captain Viscen just woke up. Who were those strange soldiers? How did they get hold of knockout gas? He had to alert the guard immediately! He started to walk down a long castle hallway when he heard somebody calling to him. It was coming from behind him. He turned around and Ganondorf was walking towards him. Maybe he might've seen those two guards! He decided to ask him.

"Hello, Ganondorf! Nice to see you! You didn't happen to see two strange guards during your walk have you?"

Ganondorf grinned at viscen. "No I haven't, captain. And guess what? Neither have you!"

Ganondorf aimed a spell at Viscen and it hit him in the head. He screamed and went down onto the floor holding his head. He collapsed on the floor. Ganondorf shook him. He groaned and looked at Ganondorf.

"Lord Ganondorf, what's going on? I was taking a walk through one of these halls and everything went black. That's all I can remember. What happened?"

"I saw you walking and you fell to the ground unconscious. I ran over to you and woke you up just now",lied Ganondorf.

Viscen saluted Ganondorf.

"Thank you, sir! That was very thoughtful of you!"

Ganondorf grinned at Viscen. He had blanked his memory, so Viscen was inclined to believe him. Ganondorf returned the salute.

"No problem, captain. Glad to help!"

Ganondorf and Viscen parted ways. Viscen going one way and Ganondorf going another way, Ganondorf kept walking for a few minutes. He stopped and looked around cautiously. He wanted to use his teleport spell without the castle guards seeing him. The coast was clear. Ganondorf used his teleport spell and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke and reappeared in his room. Saska and Jaska were seated on a couch. As soon as Ganondorf returned, they stood up and saluted him.

"Lord Ganondorf sir! Did your plan work? Did you blank the Captain's memory?",asked Saska.

Ganondorf grinned evilly. "What do you think? Of course I did! That fool has no memory of you two. Watch what you're doing next time alright? I already have the King suspicious. He never trusted me since day one. Now, I want to show you two my experiment!"

Ganondorf walked over to the bed in the right hand corner of the room and lifted the blanket. There was a young kid sleeping in there! What was even stranger to Saska and Jaska was that the kid looked very familiar! Ganondorf shook the kid gently.

"Come on, Max! Wake up, my son!"

Both Saska and Jaska gasped in disbelief. Did their Lord just call this kid his son? They both recognized the kid. It was the same kid they had brainwashed! Only this time, he had black hair and he was wearing the same armor as their lord! Max groaned and stood up.

"I'm up, father! What do you require of me?"

Ganondorf smiled at Max. He pointed to Saska and Jaska.

"I want to reintroduce you to my Lieutenant and my Captain! They haven't seen you without mind control!"

Max walked towards Saska and Jaska and shook their hands.

"I remember you two! It's good to see you again! Lieutenant Jaska, thank you for using that allegiance spell on me! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be on your side!"

Jaska was speechelss. She could only nod and smile. Saska was impressed with Ganondorf's skill.

"So lord, how did you make this one evil without the allegiance spell?"

Ganondorf seemed impressed by the question. He answered the question quickly.

"I'm glad you asked, Captain! I chanelled my own evil energy into this kid! When I was done, he immediately wanted to kill somebody! I sent him out on a mission and he came back after he killed one of his former friends! I have also adopted this kid. He is now my son! I want you two to treat him with respect! Treat him the same way you would treat me! If you treat him badly for any reason, there will be hell to pay! Do you understand?"

Both Saska and Jaska saluted.

"Yes sir! We understand perfectly!"

Ganondorf nodded. "Good! I'm glad we are clear on that! Max, I want you to get some rest still. Tomorrow, we are taking a little trip to Zora's Domain. That is where my spy said the other Spiritual Stone is! After we obtain it, we can return to the mountain and take the goron's Spiritual Stone! They should be weak from hunger by now! After we take it, we will destroy the goron race once and for all!"

Max, Saska and Jaska all laughed evilly. Their leader was brilliant! While they were taking the Spritual Stones anyway, why not eliminate one or two species while they were at it?

End of Chapter


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Link awoke in the afternoon feeling slightly better. He had a good rest after Navi left. He sat up and looked around to see if he could spot the doctor. He was nowhere to be seen. He wanted to ask him if he could get up today and try walking a short distance and see if his chest was any better. He wanted to continue his journey to collect the Spiritual Stones. He was tired of lying in bed all the time! He knew that his injury was bad, but he was getting tired of sleeping all day and he was bored to death! Just then, Charlie walked in. Link called Charlie over to him.

"Hey, Charlie! Come here, buddy! I need someone to talk to! There is absolutely NOTHING to do in here but sleep! I'm getting tired of sleeping! I want to get the rest of those damn Spiritual Stones!"

Charlie walked over to Link and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know, Link. So do I. But you have to get better first. If we continue our journey with you still injured, it could do more damage to you. You might get your wound infected or even end up getting sick. You might also run into an enemy and not have enough strength to fight. So until you're better, you should stay close to here."

Link smiled and nodded at Charlie. He was right as usual.

"Thanks for pointing that out, buddy. You're right. Have you seen the doc around? I want to ask him if I can try and walk around a little yet, but I haven't seen him yet."

Charlie frowned. Now that he thought about it, he never saw him around either. He figured that Doctor Frederick was still in here either sleeping or working on a poultice for Link's wound.

"I honestly haven't seen him either, Link. I thought he was in here with you. Give me a couple minutes and I will go and ask one of the guards. Somebody must have seen him."

Charlie walked out of the infirmary and walked over to a nearby guard.

"Excuse me sir, have you seen Doctor Frederick around? I can't find him anywhere."

The guard scratched his shaggy beard.

"Doctor Frederick you say? No I don't believe I have. I'll go ask in the guardhouse for you. Surly one of the off duty guards have seen him around! I'll be back in a couple minutes."

The guard walked over to the guard house and went inside. A couple minutes later, he came out and walked over to Charlie.

"A guard on duty a couple hours ago told me that he saw the doctor head outside of town towards the castle. He told me that old Frederick mumbled something about a fairy spirit and walked in that direction. I'm not sure what to suggest, kid. Just stay in the infirmary and I will let you know when he gets back."

Charlie nodded and smiled at the guard.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate it."

The guard smiled and gave Charlie a salute.

"No problem, kid. We are here to protect and serve."

Charlie walked in to tell Link the news. Link was lying back in his bed with his arms behind his head. When he saw Charlie return, he sat up again.

"So? What did you find out, buddy?"

Charlie walked over to Link to tell him the news.

"Well Link, I talked to a nearby guard and he didn't see Frederick at all. So he walked over to the guardhouse and asked the off duty guards. He told me that one of the guards claimed to have seen him walking towards the castle and mumbling about a fairy spirit The guard told me he would let me know when he returns."

Link scratched his head in confusion. Why the hell did the doctor leave him unattended to find this so called "Fairy Spirit"? Link sighed and put his head on his pillow. That weird doctor better have a good explanation as to why he left him all alone while he went towards the castle looking for a stupid spirit! A gerudo could've came in here and killed him! Hell, Max could've shown up and finished him off! Just thinking about it made Link feel angry! He glared at Charlie.

"Charlie, I'm going to have a talk with that doctor when he returns. Why the hell didn't he tell me he was going to leave me here without anyone to watch over me? That is so irresponsible! He had better tell me why he left like that when he returns!"

Charlie looked shocked. Frederick was out looking for a fairy spirit to probably help Link and all Link could do was get angry at him! Granted he shouldn't have left Link alone and he probably should've told him he was gonna be out for awhile. Charlie tried to reason with the furious Link.

"Link! Take it easy! Frederick is trying to help you! He probably went out to find a fairy spirit to speed up your healing! There's no need to lose your cool!"

Instead of calming Link down, this irritating him even more. His best friend was arguing with him! He couldn't believe what he was hearing!

"Shut up, Charlie! You don't know what you're talking about! While he was out on his little adventure, I could've been killed! The bastard never told me a thing! He just walked out and left me here! Wouldn't you feel angry if it was you in my place?"

Charlie felt hurt that Link got mad at him. He mumbled to Link.

"Yea I guess."

"Sure you would! Anybody could come in here and poison you or kill you if nobody is there to look after you! Especially that bastard Max!"

Charlie realized that Link wasn't trying to be a jerk. He was absolutely right! Link could've got attacked with nobody to look after him! Charlie put his hand on Link's shoulder.

"You're right, Link. I'm sorry I argued with you. Let's wait for Frederick to return and see what he has to say for himself!"

Darunia and the rest of the gorons were rested up. They had eaten the rest of the rocks the foragers had found. Darunia sighed. Argus was right. There wasn't many rocks left at all! Darunia called everyone together.

"Okay, brothers! We have to work together and forage for more food! I think I have a plan! Wait here!"

Darunia left everyone standing in a circle and went to his room. He walked out dragging a large worn chest behind him. He dropped the chest in front of everyone and opened it. Inside were six large pickaxes! He turned to his people.

"Earlier today after we returned, I was in my room looking for my silver drinking chalice the King of Hyrule gave me, when I found this chest buried under a pile of wood! I completely forgot I had these! We can pick away at that big rock! We may not break through, but we can use the pieces we break off to eat for ourselves! Any loose rocks you see along the way, start picking at them with these! Every little bit counts! They may not taste like top rock sirloins, but it's sure as hell is better than starving! Who's with me?"

This resulted in a loud roar from all the gorons. Darunia had them all fired up and ready for work! Darunia spoke again once the roaring stopped.

"Now brothers, seeing as there are only six pickaxes, we are going to take turns using them! Pick away at the big rock for awhile. When you get tired, pass it to somebody else and take a break! Argus, I want you to go to Hyrule Castle and explain to the King of Hyrule our situation! Ask him to send help so we can eat properly again!"

Argus nodded at Darunia.

"You can count on me, chief. I won't let you down!"

Argus got up and walked out of the cave and made his way to Hyrule Castle. Darunia turned to his people.

"Okay, my brothers! Let's go and show that rock who's boss!"

All of the gorons roared and followed Darunia to the base of Death Mountain

When they arrived, Daruinia organized the gorons. Six gorons would start with the pickaxes while the other gorons would throw over their piles of chipped rocks. When the gorons on the pickaxes got tired, they would take a rest and the gorons picking up the rocks would take their place. Six gorons walked over and started to pick away at the boulder. They weren't getting very far with the pickaxes. Nevertheless, they kept going. Their survival depended on it.

Ganondorf and Max were walking up the winding path to Zora's domain. Ganondorf was thinking of just teleporting in, but he didn't know what to expect. He had no idea what the Zora's home even looked like. So he decided to just walk with his newly adopted son up to the entrance. They got partway up the path when suddenly, something surfaced on the water! It looked like a octopus of some sort. It looked at Ganondorf and Max and it's tentacles went up and down splashing the water at Ganondorf and Max. After it was done splashing water, it opened it's mouth and spit a rock at Ganondorf. Ganondorf simply held out his hand. The rock got closer and hit a barrier of some sort. Ganondorf created a magical barrier around him and Max. Ganondorf grinned at the insolent octopus.

"You stupid creature. Let's see how you handle this!"

Ganondorf held out his hand and suddenly, a bolt of lightning came out of his hand and struck the octopus. The octopus made an agonizing cry. After the bolt of lightning hit the octopus, it electrocuted it and after 30 seconds, it turned the octopus into a black crispified object floating on the water. Ganondorf turned to Max.

See, son? That's how you eliminate your enemies! Don't leave them alive! Strike them quickly before they have a chance to retaliate! I am going to teach you more powerful spells like that one in due time. For now, let's keep going. I want to have a talk with the zoras about their Spiritual Stone!"

They continued walking up the path. The owl Kaepora Gaebora saw the whole thing from above. He hooted nervously.

"Hoot! I must warn the zoras! Danger is heading their way!"

He flew high so Ganondorf and Max wouldn't see them. He then flew in the direction of the Zora tribe's home.

Two Zora guards were guarding the entrance to their home. Their home was behind a waterfall, but that never stopped intruders before. In the past, they had several dangerous birds enter their home uninvited. The zora tribe were a race of fish people. They were white with blue spots all over their bodies. They had fins at the back of their arms and legs. They also had a huge fin behind their heads. Zoras knew how to stand like humans because a human had taught them how to stand and walk hundreds of years ago. He called himself the King of Hyrule. After he taught them how to stand and walk, the zoras gladly signed a peace treaty with him.

Suddenly, the zora guards heard some commotion outside. Then without warning, a huge bird flew into their home! He faced the zoras and introduced himself quickly.

"Greetings! My name is Kaepora Gaebora! I came here to warn you of an incoming evil heading this way!"

The two zora guards looked at each other. If this bird was an enemy, he wouldn't have warned them of something like that! They looked at the bird.

"Okay! Come with us to talk to our king!"

The bird was lead up a small path that ended at a flight of stairs. Kaepora Gaebora spread his wings and flew up the staircase ahead of the guards. When he got to the top, he saw two more zora guards holding tridents standing beside a very fat zora. He assumed that this was the zora king. He bowed his head respectfully.

"Greetings, your majesty! I have come to warn you of an incoming evil! There is a man in black armor and a small child also in black armor heading this way! He is really bad news! I saw him electrocute an octopus! It turned the poor thing into a black thing floating on the water! He will likely do the same thing to your people!"

King Zora was frightened. There was an evil man and a child coming here that had dark powers? He had no idea what to do. He looked at the owl and panicked.

"What? This evil man could eliminate us! What do we do now? We are done for! I wish I knew where my daughter was! We have to act quickly!"

King Zora looked at the two guards that were at his side.

"I want you to gather up all the zoras and give them tridents! We must try to defend our home! Hold perimeter near the entrance and don't let anyone through!"

The guards saluted and ran off to gather all the zoras.

End of Chapter


	14. Chapter 14

Hey, guys! Sorry for the delay with my chapters. I work nights so I don't get much done on my story when I get home. I'm looking for a new title for this story, but I can't think of one. If you can think of a good one, let me know! I'd really appreciate it! Zmaster26

**Chapter 14**

It was late afternoon when Doctor Frederick entered the castle town from the path to Hyrule Castle. He was carrying a small sack across his back. He was quickly approached by a nearby guard.

"Doctor! Where have you been? A kid came to me asking about your whereabouts." The guard looked at Frederick's back and noticed the sack. "So, what's in the bag?"

Frederick frowned at the guard. He was awfully nosey for a guard. What did it matter what was in the sack? Frederick grumbled a reply to the guard.

"Oh, it's just some medical supplies I found. You said someone was looking for me? Of all the nerve! People should mind their own business around here instead of trying to follow me!"

The guard scratched his head in confusion. He wasn't expecting an answer like that!

"Doctor, nobody is following you! A friend of your patient was looking for you! He said your patient needed your help!"

Doctor Frederick looked up at the guard in confusion.

"My patient? Errrr...Oh yes! The young boy! I have something for him! Sorry about that, sir! I've got to get to him right away!"

Doctor Frederick walked towards the back alleyways. The guard watched him go and as he did, he commented to himself about the doctor.

"I think it's almost time for old Frederick to retire! I think he's going senile!"

Doctor Frederick walked into his infirmary. He was confronted by an irritated Charlie.

"Doctor! Where the hell have you been? Why did you leave my friend Link all alone?"

Frederick said nothing as he took the sack off of his back. Link sat up and yelled at Frederick.

"Hey, Doc? My friend just asked you a damn question! Why the hell did you leave me all alone? I could've been hurt by a gerudo or even killed by my former friend Max!"

The doctor was looking in the sack. He stopped looking inside and glared at Link.

"Watch your tongue, young man! Mind your manners! I am 86 years old! I forgot to tell you! I'm sorry, okay? Maybe it's time for me to hire an assistant! I can then train the assistant with all my knowledge of healing and if he or she is good enough, I may be able to retire! I'm getting too forgetful of late! Please forgive me, young man!"

Link sighed. He got himself all worked up over Frederick leaving and he never thought about how old Frederick was. Link decided to apologize to Frederick.

"Look, I'm sorry I lost my temper with you, but you got to try to remember more things! That wasn't the best idea leaving me alone like that! You're right, doc. I think you need an assistant to help you out around here."

Doctor Frederick adjusted his glasses. "Yes yes you're right. I will worry about that later. In the meantime, what did you need, young man?"

Link tried to stand up out of his bed but he fell on the floor to his knees. He looked up at Doctor Frederick, his eyes squinting from the pain in his gut.

"Doc, I want to resume my journey! I don't want to be bedridden for weeks! I was going to ask you if I could walk around a little, but seeing how much a few steps hurt, I'm not going to bother."

Charlie and Doctor Frederick helped to lift Link back into his bed. Doctor Frederick grinned. This young man was eager to resume his journey. Wait until he saw what he had in the burlap bag! After Link was back in his bed, Frederick began to look at his wound.

"Okay, young man! I'm going to take these bandages off and see how your wound is doing! Please try to hold still!"

Doctor Frederick removed the bandages carefully to reveal a partially healed chest wound. He frowned with frustration.

"Hmm! If I keep you here and keep treating this wound normally, it will take at least a week to fully heal! Maybe longer!"

Link sat upright quickly.

"A week?! I can't stay in bed that long! Isn't there anything you can do to speed up the healing?"

Doctor Frederick smiled at Link.

"If the Great Fairy was right, this should heal you in a matter of minutes!"

Frederick walked over to the burlap bag and pulled out a small bottle with a white glowing light inside. Link looked closer and it looked like a big white glowing ball of energy. Link looked at Doctor Frederick in amazement.

"Doc, what is that thing? It looks awesome!"

Doctor Frederick brought it over in front of Link.

"This, my boy is a Fairy's Spirit. I got it from the Great Fairy outside the castle grounds. She told me to open the bottle in front of a badly injured human and the spirit would heal all wounds in a matter of minutes! Do you want to try it?"

Link sighed. Anything was better than sitting here for a week! He nodded.

"Yes. I'll give it a try!"

Frederick opened the bottle and the spirit floated out. It started to float right towards Link's wound. Suddenly, it went right into Link's wound! Link gasped with shock.. His wound suddenly felt warm and itchy. Link, Charlie and Doctor Frederick watched in amazement as the wound started to quickly heal. After two minutes, the wound was completely gone. All three couldn't believe their eyes. One minute the wound was there and the next minute, it was healed over completely. Link stood up out of his bed and there was no pain in his gut at all! Link smiled joyfully.

"At last! I can move again! Thank you so much, Doc! If it wasn't for you, I would still be in that bed groaning! Sorry about getting angry before!"

Frederick smiled. "Don't mention it, young man! Just try not to get badly injured again okay?"

Link smiled. He felt so happy to be on his feet after the fight with Max. He waved at Frederick as he and Charlie walked away.

"Charlie, I need you to find Navi! We are continuing our journey!"

Charlie Scratched his head in confusion.

"I haven't seen her around, Link. After she talked to me about being too nervous to talk to you, she flew off somewhere."

Link frowned. Where did she go this time? She came in and apologized to him for deserting and now she was gone again! Suddenly, Navi flew towards Link with another yellow fairy. Navi cleared her throat.

"Link, Charlie, this is Valerie. She is Saria's fairy partner."

Valerie looked at Link and explained to him what was going on.

"I have come to deliver a message to you from Saria. She wants to see you again. I don't know what to do about Mido, but Saria told me to find you. I got lost in the big field outside of the forest until I found a oddly dressed man running in an easterly direction. I followed him from a distance and I saw a big gatehouse and a drawbridge. I flew over closer to the drawbridge and that's where I saw Navi. She told me that she was your fairy partner and here I am!"

Link smiled. He was glad Saria missed him. He missed her as well. He would go and see Saria before he made his way up Death Mountain. Link turned to Charlie and Navi.

"Okay, guys! Let's go back to the forest! If that jerk Mido gets in my way, I'm going to leave him with either a black eye or a fat lip!"

The zora guards were standing around the entrance to their home with their tridents pointed out. Suddenly, the zora guards heard someone laughing evilly. The unknown intruder then stopped laughing and commented to somebody else.

"Isn't this funny, Max? They are trying to block the way with a waterfall! Let's show them just how useless it really is against my power!"

Suddenly, the zoras heard a strange noise and the waterfall stopped flowing! The five zoras went closer to the entrance to investigate when a big purple blast of magic struck all five of them in the chest and sent them flying back. They all landed in the water below the entrance. All five were stunned.

Ganondorf and Max walked in the zora's home. Ganondorf sniffed the air in disgust. It really smelled bad in here! It reminded him of the smell of rotten fish. Ganondorf and Max followed the trail until they found a small flight of stairs. When they reached the top of the stairs, they came face to face with the zora king. He looked at Ganondorf and Max in horror.

"You! You are responsible for all the commotion I heard! What do you want from us?"

Ganondorf grinned.

"Listen carefully you overgrown tadpole! I want your Spiritual Stone! If you don't give it to me, I will do the same thing to you that I did to that octopus!"

""W-what did you do to an octopus?", asked King Zora.

Ganondorf answered by holding his hand out. It started to glow white. He then sent a bolt of lightning flying into the wall beside King Zora's throne. Ganondorf started to laugh.

"I shot one of those at it and I reduced it to a black shriveled up ball. The same thing will happen to your people if you refuse to give me that stone!"

King zora started to panic.

"B-but I don't have it! Please leave us alone! We are a peaceful race!"

Ganondorf glared at the zora king angrily.

"There won't be anything left of your race if you don't listen to me!"

Max stood forward.

"Maybe I can help convince this old fool!"

Max held out his hand and concentrated. A fireball shot out of his hand and hit the wall right above King Zora's head. Max then repeated his father's terms.

"The stone you fool! Where is the stone? Give it to us and we might let you live!"

King Zora had no choice. He decided to tell them.

"Okay! Okay! My daughter is wearing it! She is feeding our guardian god Lod Jabu Jabu. The entrance is behind me!"

Ganondorf smiled. Thanks to Max, He finally cracked under the pressure.

"Well done, son! Out of our way, fool!"

Ganondorf held out his hand towards the zora king and sent him flying from his throne. He landed on the floor beside the throne in shallow water. Ganondorf and Max then went in the entrance.

Pricess Ruto was feeding Lord Jabu Jabu a fish. He was a gigantic whale with a crown on top of his head. He had unusual blue eyes and his skin was grey in color. Suddenly, Ganondorf and Max came walking in. Princess Ruto faced them and addressed them.

"You two! What do you think you're doing? You aren't supposed to be in here! This is a restricted area!"

Ganondorf just grinned at her.

"You are King Zora's daughter I presume?"

Princess Ruto looked at him strangly.

"Yes that's right. Who are you?"

Ganondorf smiled.

"I thought you'd never ask! My name is Ganondorf and this is my son Max and we have come for the Spiritual Stone! Hand it over or else!"

Princess Ruto gasped in alarm.

"No! You can't have it! I'm supposed to give it to the man I choose to be my husband!"

Ganondorf laughed. Who would want to marry a weird smelly fish girl?

"I'm sorry, little fish girl. I don't want to marry you. But I do want that stone! Hand it over now!"

Before Princess Ruto could say another word, Lord Jabu Jabu opened his mouth and sucked Princess Ruto into his belly! Ganondorf cursed angrily

"Shit! Now what am I going to do? She was wearing the damn thing!" Ganondorf looked at Lord Jabu Jabu angrily.

"You stupid fish! This is all your fault! I am going to lay a curse on you! This curse will eat at you from the inside until all that's left of you are your bones! I will then come back for the stone!"

Ganondorf held out his hand and struck Jabu Jabu with a green blast of magic. The whale made a grunting noise.. Ganondorf sneered.

"Oh I see that hurt! Good! But I'm afraid it will only get worse as time goes by! Have fun, you stupid fish!"

Ganondorf walked away from Jabu Jabu and he and Max went back into the zora's home.

King Zora was walking back up to his throne when Ganondorf and max came running out of Jabu Jabu's area. He shouted at Ganondorf.

"What have you done to my daughter, you fiend?"

Ganondorf laughed loudly.

"Oh nothing. Your stupid guardian god ate her!"

King Zora went to his knees and started crying.

"Oh my dear sweet Ruto! I'm so sorry!"

Ganondorf and Max started laughing together and they disappeared in a cloud of smoke. King Zora sighed with relief. He put on an act for Ganondorf and Max. He assumed that ruto was fine because she always went inside Lord Jabu Jabu to clean his teeth and make sure nothing was wrong with him. Suddenly, the five guards that Ganondorf sent flying came walking up slowly and groaning. King Zora addressed them.

"People, don't be ashamed because you lost to that stranger! He had strange magical powers! So did his son! I want all of you totake a rest and recover from your injuries!"

The five zoras all had minor burns from the magic blast. Nothing serious. It would heal eventually.

Darunia and the rest of the gorons were exhausted. They picked away at the rock with little success. The bomb flowers weren't quite ripe yet either so the explosion from the fruit wasn't large enough to do anything. Altogether, the gorons chipped away four small piles of rock. They were then added to the food supply. Darunia and the rest of the gorons were back in their home with the rock piles. Darunia addressed his people.

"Okay, brothers! I'm not going to lie to you! We don't have much food left at all! We have to be careful! If we don't figure out a way to break that boulder soon, we may not last much longer! Let us not think of the bad news. Let us think of Argus and his quest to find some help!"

The gorons all grunted in agreement. Everyone was feeling weak from hunger. The small piles of rock had to be rationed carefully. Darunia sighed sadly. He hoped Argus was on his way back with help. Thanks to that evil man, they surly needed it! What was going to happen to the gorons if Argus failed in his mission? Darunia dismissed it from his mind and sat down on the hard floor and sighed weakly.

"Please succeed in your mission, Argus. Our lives depend on it.", said Darunia weakly to himself.

End of Chapter


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Link, Charlie and Navi exited Hyrule Castle Town and made their way towards the forest with Valerie in the lead. Link was really forward to it. He missed his friends Saria and Brad a lot. As soon as Link saw a large downward hill, he knew that they were getting close. Link started to run down the hill with his friends Charlie and Navi close behind. Link spotted the two dead trees that marked the entrance to the forest. Link, Charlie and Navi entered the forest. They kept going walking through the thick forest. All that could be seen were endless trees and bushes scattered everywhere. Suddenly, Valerie stopped flying ahead and turned around and addressed everyone.

"Okay, everyone! Kokiri Village is just ahead! Link, I'm surprised at you! You lived here all your life and you couldn't figure out how to get back without my help?"

Link was speechless. He never asked for her help! He was merely following her! Link just ignored it and tried to be nice to Valerie.

"Sorry, Valerie. I've been kind of busy lately. I must have forgotten."

Valerie giggled at Link. What a silly boy!

"It's ok, Link. Don't worry about it. These things happen. By the way Link, I see there is one other human with you. I thought there was another one."

Link bowed his head in sadness. He missed Max a lot. Now he was evil and there didn't seem to be any way to convince him otherwise. Link started to cry softly.

"Yes there was another human. His name was Max. He turned against us and almost killed me. Even though he is evil now, I miss him still."

Link fell to the ground crying. Charlie ran over to Link and tried to cheer him up.

"It's okay, Link. We all miss him. Someday, we will figure out how to cleanse his body of evil. Until then, we have to try and be strong."

While Charlie was trying to calm Link down, Navi flew over to Valerie and bumped into her on purpose. Valerie turned to Navi.

"Ouch! What in the world was that for, Navi?"

"That was for mentioning Max! Link is very sad that his friend is evil! You never had to bring it up like that! You should have talked to me or Charlie first!", replied an angry Navi.

Valerie felt sad. She had no idea Max had turned evil. She made Link break down and cry! She looked at Navi sadly.

"I'm very sorry, Navi. I had no idea that Max was evil and that he tried to kill Link. Please forgive me!"

Navi was about to reply when Link stood up. He turned to Charlie, Navi and Valerie.

"Okay, everyone. I'm better now. Let's move on."

Valerie flew over to Link.

"Link! Are you sure you're okay? I'm very sorry I mentioned your friend! I had no idea!"

Link looked at Valerie .

"It's okay. I realized Charlie was right. I can't sit here and cry all day! I have to be strong!"

Link held up his kokiri sword.

"Someday Max, I will find a way to get you back to normal again! I swear it on my sword! Ok, everyone! Let's head for the village!"

the four friends proceeded towards Kokiri Village.

As soon as Link walked into Kokiri Village, he sighed calmly. It was still calm as ever here! Link turned and looked up at the training grounds where he trained with Brad. He walked up the hill and Brad was in the training grounds practicing with a stave. He had his back turned to Link. Link ran into the training area and tapped Brad on the back.

"Alright, Mido! I'll get back to work! Just give me a few more minutes please!"

Brad turned around and expected to see Mido standing behind him, when he realized that it was Link! Brad laughed and gave his friend Link a hug.

"Link buddy! I haven't seen you since that idiot Mido banished you and your friends! How have you been?"

Link smiled at Brad. He fondly remembered his training sessions with him.

"I'm fine, buddy. Have you been well?"

"You know it, buddy! I've been training my ass off so I don't get out of shape! I've been trying to get some of the other kokiris to train with me, but they all think that it's a waste of time! What's worse is that shortly after you got banished, That idiot Mido got me in trouble for training you! He has been on my case ever since you were kicked out!"

Link frowned. Mido was such a tool!

"I don't know what's wrong with that jackass! He always picks on everybody! What kind of a leader does that? I think the kokiris should get a new change of leadership!"

Brad smiled at Link. He knew a plan was forming in Link's head.

"So, Link? Are you going to challenge Mido to a fight or something?"

Link looked at Brad oddly.

"Why would I do that, buddy?"

"Well aren't you going to try and become the new leader here?", asked Brad.

Link shook his head. He wouldn't be able to be the leader here. He had a quest to complete. Link had other plans.

"No, buddy. I think you should challenge Mido! You would make a great leader!"

Brad was taken aback. He never expected Link to say that. Before he could reply, Charlie, Valerie and Navi came up the hill. Charlie frowned at Link.

"Link, you're a good friend and all, but if you're going to rush ahead, tell us where you're going! We spent the last five minutes looking for you!"

Link grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"Sorry, guys! I forgot. Charlie, this is my friend Brad. Say, do you three think that Brad here would make a better leader than Mido?"

All three agreed readily.

"Yea! No question! Mido is such a bully and a jerk to everyone", replied Valerie.

"You would make an excellent leader, Brad!", replied Navi.

"Go for it, Brad! Kick Mido's ass!", replied Charlie.

Link laughed at Charlie's response.

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Charlie. Let's go knock on Mido's door!"

Mido was sleeping in his bed. It was daytime, but he didn't care. He ordered the rest of the kokiri to get to work and then he decided to take a nap. Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door. He grumbled and got up and answered it.

"What? What is it? I was sleeping! Get back to work you slackers!"

Link, Charlie, Brad, Navi and Valerie were at his door. Mido couldn't believe his eyes! The outcasts were back! Mido pointed to Link, Charlie and Navi.

"What are you three doing back here? I banished you and told you to never return!"

Link glared at Mido.

"Well, we are back as you can plainly see. Brad is here to challenge your leadership!"

Mido laughed at Link. The idea of somebody challenging him was humorous.

"I refuse the challenge and you know what? You are all going to jail! Come here everybody!"

Shortly after Mido yelled, most of the kokiri were circling Link and his friends. Mido looked at the Kokiri pointed to Link and his friends.

"Arrest these five! Throw them in the jail!"

Just as the kokiri were about to drag Link and his friends off, Link held out his hands and tried to reason with them.

"Listen, everybody! Your friend Brad here is going to challenge Mido's leadership! We want him to be the new leader!"

The kokiris started grumbling and continued to move Link and his friends towards the jail. Link yelled at them.

"Listen to me! Mido is unfit to be your leader! He is a bully and he never helps out around here. Do you know what he was doing while all of you were working? He was in his house sleeping!"

A loud gasp came from the kokiris. One of them pointed at Mido.

"You told me you were working on blueprints for a new building in the village! You lazy good for nothing leader!"

Suddenly, all the kokiri started to yell and complain at Mido. He held out his hands.

"They are lying! Don't listen to a word they say! I am still the leader here! Get back to work all of you!"

Link yelled over the racket.

"They get back to work while you go back to sleep! Does that seem fair? Brad for leader!"

All the kokiri began to chant "brad for leader". Brad walked over to Mido.

"I challenge you to a fight with staves! Whoever gets knocked out first loses and the winner is the leader!"

Mido glared at Brad.

"I accept your challenge! When this is over, you are going to be very sorry you ever challenged my leadership!"

Brad dismissed Mido's comment with a wave.

"Save your words, buddy. The fight will take place in my training area! Am I going to win? Yea I am! I won't be bullied by you anymore! There will be no death hits! This isn't gonna be a fight to the death!"

Brad walked towards his training area with Link, Charlie, Navi and Valerie following behind. The kokiri were cheering and walking towards the training area with Mido being led there by his people. Mido felt nervous. What would become of him if he lost? Would he get banished himself? Mido would have to try and score a death hit and make it look like an accident. That way, he would still be leader and he would be rid of Brad once and for all!

Brad walked into his training area and grabbed two staves. He walked into the crowd of kokiri and passed one to Mido. The crowd parted and Brad looked over at Mido.

"May the best fighter win!"

Mido glared at Brad.

"You will pay dearly for this!"

The fight started in earnest. Brad tried a few simple swings at Mido. He blocked every one. At least he could block simple attacks. He decided to try more complicated attacks. He swung at his feet and then his head and then his side. Mido jumped the one aimed at his feet. He ducked the one aimed at his head, but he failed to dodge the hit at his side. Mido gasped and went down to his knees. He grabbed some dirt off the ground and threw it into Brad's eyes. Brad stumbled around trying to clear his clogged vision. The kokiris and Link and his friends booed Mido. That was a cheap trick! Mido yelled and charged at Brad with the point of the stave out. Realization of what was going on hit Link like a thunderbolt. He was trying to kill Brad! Link yelled over the melee.

"Brad! Watch out! Mido is trying to stab you!"

Brad just finished clearing his vision when he heard Link's warning and dodged Mido's attack just in the nick of time. He looked at Mido with hatred.

"You bastard! I said no death hits! If Link didn't warn me, you could've killed me!"

Mido glared at Link. That idiot warned him! He almost had him! He looked at Brad with hatred.

"I told you that you would pay dearly for challenging me! I'm not about to lose to a loser like you! I'm gonna do whatever it takes to win! Killing you would make everyone fear me and nobody would dare to challenge me again!"

Brad yelled at Mido.

"I'm going to take you down you psychopath!"

Brad started to deliver blows faster than Mido could block. He was getting hit in the side, across the head, and in the chest. Mido gasped and went down to the ground. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea after all to try and kill Brad! He was now moving very fast! Painfully, he stood up again. Brad decided to try a spin attack. He started spinning with his stave towards Mido. Mido dodged it and Brad noticed and changed his direction. He kept dodging it until he was against a tree. He saw Brad coming. He let him get closer and he jumped. As he jumped, he felt a agonizing pain in his chest. He landed and looked down. He didn't dodge quick enough. He had a wide horizontal cut across his chest. Blood started to pour out the cut. Mido screamed in agony and fell over dead. Everybody cheered. Link ran up to Brad and shook his hand.

"Congratulations, buddy! You won!"

Brad walked over to Mido's lifeless body. He looked at Link.

"Yea I won, buddy. But I didn't want Mido to die!"

Link put a hand on Brad's shoulder.

"Look, Brad. It was either you or him. I saw what that coward was up to and I quickly warned you! If you didn't dodge that, you would be the one dead right now! You had no choice! Cheer up, buddy! You're the new leader now!"

Everybody started to cheer Brad's name. The kokiri lifted Brad up above their heads and carried their new leader around the village. All the kokiri kept congratulating Brad.

"You did well, boss! Pity you had to kill Mido! Good riddance to bad rubbish! That's what I always say!"

"Nice job slicing Mido with that spin attack! He never saw it coming!"

Brad was put down and he stood in front of his people. One of the kokiris asked Brad a question.

"Hey, boss! Any orders for us?"

Brad looked at his people.

"Yes! Take the night off, people! I will help you with the work tomorrow!"

Everyone cheered loudly. They were happy with thier new leader. Brad turned to Link, Charlie and Navi.

"Thanks, guys! This would've never been possible without your help and support! You guys aren't banished anymore! Come here anytime!"

Link smiled at Brad.

"Thanks, buddy! Where was Saria during all the excitement?"

Brad scratched his chin.

"Hmm. I believe she went to the Lost Woods. She should be back by now!"

Just then, Saria came out of nowhere.

"I heard somebody mention my name." She looked at Link. "Link! You're back! Valerie found you! I wanted to teach you a song on your ocarina. By the way, what happened? Why is Mido lying on the floor dead?"

Brad put a hand on Saria's shoulder.

"I challenged Mido's leadership and he tried to kill me! I got him first. I hope you're not angry, Saria. I'm the new leader now."

Saria smiled at Brad.

"I'm not angry at all, Brad! That was a fitting end for Mido. He won't bully anybody anymore! Congratulations on your victory, boss!"

Brad smiled at Saria.

"Thanks, Saria. I won't be a bully like Mido was! I'm going to help everybody with their chores and we are going to train with staves! I want everybody ready in case we get attacked again!"

Everybody cheered at Brad's statement. Saria Turned to Link.

"Link, I'm glad you like my ocarina. I want to teach you my favorite song! On your ocarina, put your fingers on the bottom hole, then the left hole and then the right hole. That is my favorite song!"

Link put his fingers in the right place and played Saria's song to her. She clapped her hands with excitement.

"That was incredible, Link! You're doing better with the ocarina! I suppose you'll be going soon?"

Link nodded. "Yes. Me, Charlie and Navi better get going. I will talk to everybody later! Goodbye, brad! Good luck with your new leadership!"

Brad waved at Link, Charlie and Navi.

"Thanks, buddy. You made it possible! Come back to visit anytime!"

Link, Charlie and Navi walked out of the village and headed for the field outside of the forest.

Argus was completely lost. He never bothered to ask for directions in Kakariko Village. He walked out of the town and started to walk to the left. In the distance, he could make out trees. Perhaps Hyrule Castle was beyond them? Suddenly, he saw two figures and a fairy. HE curled up and started to roll towards the figures, hoping they were friends.

Link, Charlie and Navi were back in the field heading for Hyrule Castle Town. Suddenly, Charlie spotted somethig weird.

"Hey, link? Why is there a rock rolling towards us?"

Link looked and sure enough, there appeared to be a rock rolling in their direction. As it got closer, it stopped rolling. Suddenly, it uncurled to reveal a strange creature! This creature was brown and it looked like a rock. It spoke to the travelers.

"Greetings, brothers! My name is Argus and I am one of the species of gorons! We urgently need assistance! Our food supply is blocked off and we are starving to death! Will you help us?"

Link answered quickly.

"Of course I will. Where is your home?"

"My home is at Death Mountain! I think I know the way back! Follow me!"

Argus curled into a ball and started rolling towards Kakariko Village with Link, Charlie and Navi in his wake.

End of Chapter


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Link and Charlie followed Argus towards Kakariko Village. Both Link and Charlie could see the stairway up to the village when Link suddenly remembered something vital. He stopped and shouted to Argus who was still heading towards his home in the mountains.

"Wait! I have to get a better shield before I can go up the mountain! I only have a small wooden shield!"

Charlie stopped in his tracks and turned around and faced Link.

"You're right, Link! I completely forgot about that!"

Argus stopped rolling. He uncurled and turned to the two and started waving his arms.

"Make it quick, you two! I don't want my people to die!"

Link and Charlie both nodded and ran towards the Castle town. They entered the castle town and quickly made their way towards the Bazaar. When they entered, there was a huge muscular man behind the counter. Link walked up to the counter and talked to the man.

"Excuse me, I need two Hylian shields. The Kakariko Village Guard sent me."

The huge man grunted.

"He sent another bunch my way did he? Argh! I honestly wish he would quit doing that! You two will make ten people that I gave discounts to! Most of the others were Hyrule soldiers and they should have been told to pay full price! Fine! One hundred twenty rupees please! The two shields are now sixty rupees a piece!"

Link handed the man the correct amount. The big man turned around and lifted two shields off the wall and handed them to Link and Charlie.

"May these shields serve you well! They are a little big for you kids! You should've waited to buy these shields until you're older! If you two break your backs, don't come crying to me!"

Charlie and Link nodded at the shopkeeper and walked out of the shop.

Outside the shop, Link and Charlie were helping each other with the shields. Charlie had one shield strapped to Link's back. Charlie smiled with satisfaction.

"There! I fastened the shield on your back out of the way! Try to walk now!"

Link took a couple steps and it started to feel like he had a rock strapped to his back! Link grunted in pain.

"We will never be able to carry on with these on our backs! They are way too heavy!"

Charlie nodded in agreement.

"Yea I think you're right! But what are we gonna do? We can't exactly cut them up until they're smaller!"

A passing man overheard the complaining and called them over.

"Hey, kids! I see you are having problems with those shields! Follow me! I may have a solution for you!"

Link and Charlie grunted as they carried the shields and followed the man down the back alleyways. The man suddenly stopped in front of an old house.

"In here, kids! I think you two will like what I'm going to offer!"

The man opened the door of the house and walked in with Charlie and Link following behind. The man cleared his throat.

"My name is Felldohr! You'll have to excuse the mess. I got back from Lake Hylia yesterday. I felt like I needed a break. What a clean and cool lake! I went swimming in the lake and later on, I traveled over by boat to a nearby fishing hole and tried to catch some fish! I didn't catch anything of course. The owner told me to be more patient and I told him to shut up. Anyway, let me get some light in here!"

Felldohr walked over and lit three candles around the room. There was a shattered chair in one corner. Charlie gasped in disbelief. This was the same house that he and Max were held captive! Charlie looked over at Link.

"Link! This is the same house that Jaska and Ganondorf held me and Max prisoner! Ganondorf broke that chair in the corner with his magic!"

Link looked over at the man.

"Did you know anything about that, Felldohr?"

Felldohr looked at Link with a puzzled look on his face.

"My house? Used as a prison?! No! I was gone for a two week vacation at Lake Hylia! I'm going to have a chat with the guards later! They are very helpful, but how did they overlook that? Anyway I got something for you two if nobody stole them!"

Felldohr walked over to a big chest ahead of him. He opened it and pulled out two small steel shields. They looked similar to the Hylain shield, but they were more suitable for smaller people.

Felldohr smiled fondly as he related a story to Charlie and Link.

"About ten years ago, I used to be a blacksmith here. I was forging a lot of swords and shields for the Hyrule guards. I was working on a rather large sword order for the guards when two short guards walked in. They weren't much taller than you two! They walked up to me and requested two shields that weren't too heavy. They couldn't lift the normal Hylian shields. I agreed and that night, I got to work and crafted the shields. I stayed up late and made them look very nice and fancy. I also reinforced them with some strong steel I had for special requests. They were built to withstands the hottest fires and the sharpest sword or spear! Sadly, those two short guards never came back to get their shields. A day later, a guard walked into my shop and said his name was Corporal Viscen. He asked me if two short guards came in here the previous day. I told him yes. He explained to me that they were killed in action. They didn't raise their shields quick enough and they both took arrows in the throat. I bowed my head in sadness. If they came to me sooner, I could've saved their lives! These smaller shields could've saved their lives! Anyway, I want you two to have these smaller shields! I will trade you for the larger ones! Use them with pride!"

Link and Charlie traded shields.

Link smiled at Felldohr.

"Thank you very much, Felldohr! If those two guards could see you now, I bet that they would be smiling! Take care and thanks for sharing your story!"

Felldohr waved at Link and Charlie.

"Bye, kids! Enjoy those shields!"

As soon as they were outside, Link and Charlie tried the shields. They had a nice balanced feel to them. They weren't as heavy as the large Hylain shields, but they were just as durable. They also strapped on their backs with ease. Charlie and Link walked out of Hyrule Castle town. They could hardly tell that there were shields on their backs.

Argus was beginning to get impatient. They had told him that they had to get shields. Fair enough. However, it shouldn't take so long just to buy two shields and come back out of the place the humans called Castle Town. Argus was thinking about going into the human town when he saw the two humans emerge from the town. He curled up and rolled over to them. He waved his arms in frustration.

"What took you humans so long? My tribe may be dead already! Let's not waste any more time! Follow me quickly!"

Argus curled into a ball once more and rolled towards Kakariko. Link and Charlie followed Argus into Kakariko. They followed him until Argus stopped in front of the gate guard to the entrance to the mountain. The guard looked at Argus.

"Oh you're the goron kid! So, I see you found assistance! If it isn't Mr. Hero! Wahahahaha! So, do you and your friend have shields?"

Link and Charlie rolled their eyes and turned their backs to the guard. The guard looked at the shields closely.

"Ah! These shields are very similar to the Hylian shields only smaller... You got these from Felldohr didn't you? That guy has helped me out a lot in the past. Alright! You and your friend and the goron kid may pass, Mr. Hero!"

The guard sniggered and opened the gate. Link, Charlie and Argus made their way toward the mountain. Argus lead them to the huge boulder. It had a lot of large chunks out of it, but it was far from being broken. Argus turned to Charlie and Link.

"See, you guys? This is the boulder we need to move somehow. Follow me! I will take you to our home!"

Charlie and Link followed Argus up a winding path until they came up to a large entrance to a cave. Argus turned to his two friends.

"You two stay here! I am going to see if everybody is alright!"

Argus walked into the cave. Link and Charlie walked around. Link noticed there was another path leading somewhere. He indicated Charlie to follow and the two walked the path. They quickly came to a dead end. It was ledge. Link looked down and he could see the big boulder! If only there was something link could throw on top of the big rock to break it! Link sighed and sat down. Charlie walked up to Link and followed suit. Charlie noticed something weird beside him. It looked like a plant with a black rock in the center of it. Charlie poked Link in the shoulder.

"Hey, buddy! Take a look at this strange plant!"

Link got up and looked at what Charlie was talking about. It was a very strange looking plant. Link looked at Charlie.

"What do you think it is? Should we pick it and find out?"

Charlie merely shrugged his shoulders. Link scowled.

"Thanks for the opinion, buddy!"

Argus walked out of the cave and noticed that the two humans were gone! He walked a few steps and suddenly, he began to hear voices coming from the path overlooking the cave. He walked the path and saw Charlie and Link. He gasped in alarm. The one human called Link was about to pick a bomb flower! Argus shouted at Link.

"Wait! That is a bomb flower! Don't pick that! It will explode!"

Link immediately left it alone. Argus sighed with relief.

"That was close. The fruit of bomb flowers are the raw ingredients for making bombs. They are unique to this mountain and grow like crazy in shaded areas!"

A plan began to form in Link's mind. Link put a hand on Argus's shoulder.

"Stand back, buddy. I'm about to save your food supply!"

Link went over to the bomb flower and picked the fruit and ran over to the lede overlooking the bouldert and threw the fruit towards the boulder. _Boom!_ The blast shattered the boulder into many pieces and unblocked the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern! Argus came over and looked down at the result of the blast. His people were saved! He picked up Link and hugged him.

"Thank you so much, Link! You have saved our people!"

Link struggled to get away from the hugging goron. Argus released him and walked towards Dodongo's Cavern.

"Follow me, guys! My people are desperate for food and we had a lot of rock stored just inside the cave!"

Link and Charlie followed Argus to the cave .They went in and immediately saw a large pile of rocks! Argus ran over to it and grabbed a large slab. He grunted with exertion.

"I'm going to need your help with this one, guys!"

Link and Charlie rushed over to Argus's aid. The huge slab was five feet in length and three feet wide. Link and Charlie grunted as they tried to help carry it. Argus made them carry it outside the cave. All three were breathing heavily. Argus had a solution to their problem.

"Hey, guys! I am going to borrow some pickaxes from the chief and tell him the good news! I will return!"

Argus curled up into a ball and rolled towards his home. Link an Charlie sat on the huge rock slab. Argus wasn't long gone when suddenly, Link and Charlie heard a lot of loud cheering. A group of gorons were walking down the mountain slowly and cheering loudly. Some of them were groaning from hunger. The goron in front looked older than the rest. He walked over to Link and patted him on the back. The goron's "pats" sent Link flying off the rock slab. Link turned around and the goron was grinning.

"Sorry about that, brother. I got carried away. Thank you for saving my tribe! Argus has informed me that you singlehandedly pulled the fruit of a bomb flower and threw it on top of that boulder! How heroic! We owe you a debt of gratitude! My name is Darunia! I am pleased that Argus succeeded in finding help!"

All the gorons were cheering at Link. Even Argus was cheering at the back of the crowd. Charlie smiled and got up and walked over to Link and patted him on the back.

"Congratulations, Link. You're a hero!"

Link smiled at Charlie.

"I'm not about to take all the credit, buddy! You gave me the idea in the first place! Everybody! Listen up! You have Charlie here to Thank as well! If he didn't notice the bomb flower, I would've never thought of doing that! And then there's Argus! If he didn't explain to me what bomb flowers were, I would have never got the idea either!"

Link, Charlie and Argus were congratulated by the gorons. Darunia smiled and poked Link.

"So, Link? Is there anything our tribe can do for you and your friend?"

Link remembered his quest. He tried to ask about the Spiritual Stone.

"Actually Darunia, Princess Zelda sent me to collect the Spiritual Stones. Her attendant told me that your people have the stone of fire."

Darunia thought about this for a minute. He nooded at Link.

"OK, tell you what. Since you saved our people from starvation, I will give this stone to you if you can clear out the Dodongo's Cavern for my tribe! Do this for me and I will freely give you the stone! Those dodongos were a huge problem! They were attacking my people every time we went to get the weekly rock supply. I want you to eliminate them so my tribe can come in here without being attacked!"

Link nodded.

"That sounds fair enough. We will get to work right away!"

Link and Charlie were about to enter the cavern when suddenly, Navi came flying out of nowhere. Link looked at her suspiciously.

"Navi! Where have you been?"

Navi cleared her throat.

"I was summoned by the Great Fairy! Sorry I took off again, but I can't disobey the Great Fairy! She wanted to know if the fairy spirit helped you or not! I said it worked great and she told me and you guys to come to her home anytime we need healing!"

Link frowned.

"Well, if you put it that way, im not mad at you this time. You missed it, navi! I saved the gorons here and I'm about to clear the Dodongo's Cavern!"

Link turned around and the gorons were busy breaking up the huge slab with pickaxes and fists. As soon as it was broken up, a random goron would grab a piece and eat it. Link sniggered at their appetite and entered the cavern.

End of Chapter


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Link and Charlie passed the entranceway where they helped Argus with the stone slab and started to explore the Dodongo's Cavern. Link realized that he never asked Darunia what a dodongo was, but he was certain that he would see one with his own eyes soon enough. Before entering the first room, Link had an idea. He called a halt. He turned to Navi with a request.

"Navi, I need your help with something. Can you fly into the room ahead and scout it out for me? Let me and Charlie know if there are any enemies or surprises waiting. I cant quite put my finger on it, but I have a feeling we are being watched."

Navi nodded and flew into the room ahead of them.

Charlie looked at Link strangly.

"Being watched? By who? I think you may be a little paranoid, Link. I doubt anyone besides the gorons knows we are in here."

Link scratched his chin.

"You may be right, buddy. I guess we will find out later. Here comes Navi to report in."

Navi flew up to Link.

"There isn't any monsters on the first floor of this room. There are Lava pits though so watch your step both of you! I flew up higher and discovered a second floor. There was a strange green creature that I couldn't identify."

Link scratched his head in confusion. A second floor with a strange green creature up on that floor? Link couldn't imagine what it might be. It may be some sort of reptile, but he was unsure because Navi's description wasn't very good. Link decided to question her about the creature.

"So, Navi? What did this creature look like? I need more details!"

Navi groaned.

"Gee Link what do I look like, a detective? Hmm.. Well, it had a very large tail and the creature looked to weigh at least three hundred pounds. I guess the best way to describe it is a big lizard. It spotted me as I was flying high above it. It had very thick looking green skin as well. That's about all I can tell you, Link."

Link smiled at Navi.

"Thanks, Navi. That's a better descriction. I think that thing was a dodongo. I may be wrong, but I don't think I am."

Charlie looked into the room nervously.

"I don't want to go anywhere near lava! I'm afraid I will fall in!"

Link smiled and tried to reassure Charlie.

"Don't worry, buddy. If you are too nervous, I will help you cross the lava pits."

"That might be a good idea. Thanks, Link!", replied Charlie.

Charlie, Link and Navi went inside the room. As soon as they entered, they noticed the temperature was higher. Link wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Man, is it ever hot in here! It must be those damn lava pits! Let's not stay in this room any longer than we have to! Agreed?"

"Agreed!", replied Charlie and Navi.

Link looked around the massive room. It was very large and it reminded Link of a large cave. The one thing that really stood out in the room above everything was the massive skull at the very back of the room. Link started walking straight ahead and he wasn't paying much attention where he was going. Suddenly, he looked down and gasped. If he kept walking, he would have fallen into a lava pit! There was pillar ahead of Link with a strange statue on it. Link couldn't figure out how to reach it. It was too far to jump. He would surly fall in the lava pit. Jumping was obviously out of the question. Link looked down into the lava pit and noticed that there was a rock platform sitting in the lava. Suddenly, Link heard a whooshing sound and the platform rose right up level with the floor Link was standing on. Link realized it was being held there by a geyser in the lava pit. Instead of spraying water out, it was spraying hot lava out! It stayed up in midair held by the geyser for almost five seconds and then the geyser dropped. Link had an idea. He and Charlie would quickly jump onto the platform and cross to the pillar. He also noticed that there were two bridges leading off the pillar. One to the left and one to the right. Link turned around and walked over to where Charlie and Navi were sitting down resting. He sat down beside them. Charlie laughed nervously.

"I guess I'm ready for the lava pits, Link. I'll try to listen to your advice."

Link looked over at Charlie and smiled.

"That's all I ask, buddy. If you listen to me, you will make it across just fine. There is a pillar we have to jump to. After that, there are two bridges going to the left and the right. We better get started. Let's go Charlie! You two, Navi!"

Navi got up and flew behind link grumbling to herself.

"My damn wings are killing me! I sure hope Link knows what he's talking about!"

As soon as Charlie reached the lava pit, he gulped nervously. The pillar Link spoke of was way out of reach! There was no way he could jump THAT far! He turned to Link.

"Okay, how am I supposed to get to that pillar? I will never make that jump!"

Link smiled.

"Of course not, buddy. Look in the lava pit and wait."

Charlie stared down into the lava pit and suddenly, the lava started to bubble and a platform shot out of the lava and into the air. The lava kept spewing underneath the platform to keep it in midair. After five seconds, it dropped back into the lava with a loud splash Link explained his plan in more detail.

"We wait until that small platform shoots back out of the lava and quickly jump on it and over to the big pillar. Timing is key, buddy. I don't want to see you fall in the lava! I will go first! I will then give you advice to make the jump yourself!"

Navi giggled.

"It's too bad you boys don't have wings. You could just fly over there! It would be a lot easier!"

Link glared at Navi.

"Shut up, you flying lightbulb! You're not helping!"

Navi sighed.

"I'm sorry, Link. I didn't mean to strike a nerve. I was only kidding."

Link sighed at Navi. There was a time and place for jokes and this wasn't the place!

"No jokes right now, Navi! This is serious! If we don't time this right, one of us could fall to our deaths!"

Navi flew over to one corner of the room muttering to herself in anger.

Link walked over to the edge of the lava pit. He waited for the platform to shoot out the lava. He quickly jumped on it and jumped over to the big pillar! The small platform fell back into the lava behind him. That was simple! Link thought about Charlie's fear of lava. It might be a little harder for him. Link saw Charlie walking over to the edge of the lava pit nervously. He looked at Link nervously.

"Wow, Link. You made that look so easy. I guess it's my turn now! Heh heh!"

"Don't worry about a thing, Charlie! It's not as hard as you think! Just wait for the platform to rise out of the lava!", link yelled to Charlie.

Charlie did as he was instructed to do. He waited for the platform. He didn't have to wait long. It shot out of the lava and was held in midair by the lava geyser. Link yelled over more instructions.

"Now! Quickly jump onto that platform! Afterwards, quickly jump over to where I am!"

Charlie leaped onto the platform and then he quickly jumped over to where Link was. Afterwards, Charlie sighed with relief. Link patted Charlie on the back and chuckled.

"See, buddy? I knew you could do it! That wasn't so hard, eh?"

Charlie smiled at Link.

"Now that you mention it, I guess it wasn't too hard after all. Now, which way do we go now?"

Link and Charlie looked both directions. The door on the left had bars across it vertically and the door on the right was free of any bars. Link pointed to the right.

"Let's go this way. The door doesn't have any bars across it at all. I just hope the door isn't jammed! Let's go, Navi!"

Navi came flying over from the corner of the room.

"Okay! I'm coming! You wouldn't want to leave your flying lightbulb behind! Hrmph!"

Link gave the door a hard shove and it creaked open slowly. Charlie, Link and Navi made their way into the next room. As soon as they entered, Navi flew ahead to scout out any enemies or traps. Charlie nudged Link.

"What's with Navi, Link? She seems annoyed at something."

Link laughed. He knew what was bothering Navi.

"Yea she hates it when I call her a flying lightbulb! She doesn't even know what a lightbulb is, but it still bugs her!"

Charlie giggled.

"That's funny, buddy. Look! Here she comes!"

Navi flew over to Link to report her findings.

"Seems clear, Link. The room is a big long corridor. All I can find are some statues."

The good news of no enemies nearby made Link feel happy. He walked ahead of the group and started to walk down the corridor. Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake. A small green reptilian head popped out of the ground and turned to the travelers and hissed angerily. The reptile resembled an iguana. It had green scaly skin and a small long tail. It started to hiss louder and then it banged it's tail on the ground rapidly. It was only making a small thumping on the ground, but a couple minutes later, more lizard heads were popping out of the ground. Before long, Link and his party found themselves surrounded by hissing lizards. Charlie nudged Link nervously.

"Link? What do we do now? We are surrounded by these vile lizards! What do they want?"

Link sighed and looked over at Navi.

"Gee, Navi! You did a terrific job finding enemies in this room! Besides the statues you saw, there is a big hoard of lizards in here! What are you going to miss in the next room if we survive this? A hoard of undead skeletons?"

Navi had put up with enough. First, Link got mad at her for making a joke and now this? Navi flew over to Link and hovered in front of his face. She smacked Link on the nose.

"Listen to me you annoying human! Stop getting mad at me all the time! I try my best to do what you ask! You have to accept the fact that I'm not perfect! I didn't know these lizards were in here! You must have alerted them with your walking! If you don't stop getting mad at me all the time, I'm leaving! I will go back to Kokiri Village and live with Valerie!"

Link sighed. He knew Charlie would be mad at him if he told Navi to go. Sometimes, Link found Navi to be an annoying nuisance. However, she was useful at scouting rooms to make sure there were no enemies in them. Except this one. Link apologized to Navi.

"I'm sorry, Navi. I'll try to take your feelings into consideration before I get mad at you again. Now, how are we going to get out of this mess? The lizards haven't moved a muscle and they are still hissing at us!"

Charlie had an idea.

"What if you used one of the sword techniques Brad taught you?"

Link nodded. That seemed like a sensible plan, but there was one problem. Link voiced his concerns.

"I think I know which one to use, but I don't want to hurt you or Navi. Can you two exit this room for a minute? I am going to attempt a spin attack and I don't want you guys getting caught in it!"

Charlie and Navi nodded and exited the room. Charlie swung the door closed behind him. Link watched them go and when they left, he turned his attention to the lizard hoard.

"Well, time to spill some lizard guts!", said Link as he began to slowly spin with the Kokiri Sword in hand.

End of Chapter


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Link started to spin faster with his sword. He headed toward the lizard hoard. The first dozen lizards were cut down before they even had a chance to react to the situation. Most of the other lizards hissed in alarm and they leaped out of the way of Link's blade. Link finished his spin attack and looked around him. He only killed a small handful of lizards. The rest of them were hissing violently at him. He glared at the lizard hoard and taunted them.

"Come on! Are you cowards just going to stand there hissing at me? Attack me. Let's see you fight for a change!"

Groups of lizards began to charge at him. He stood his ground with his blade ready. He swung his blade at the advancing lizards and kept striking at their heads with his blade. They were slain instantly from the blows, but there were far too many for Link to take on himself. Link backed up to the door into the room as more lizards advanced on Link. He knocked on the door urgently.

"Charlie! Navi! I need help right away! This is a vast lizard hoard!"

Charlie opened the door quickly and saw the large hoard of lizards. Navi flew over and landed on Charlie's shoulder.

"It's no good, Link! You need to retreat! We need to think of another way to get through that mob!"

Link nodded.

"Good idea, Navi! I'm coming out!"

Link ran out of the room and pushed on the door with all the strength he could muster. Charlie ran over and pushed on the door as well. The door creaked shut behind them. Both sighed with relief. Link looked at Charlie and smiled.

"Thanks, buddy! If it wasn't for your help, those lizards might've got out of that room."

Charlie smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"Anytime, pal. Let's go across the bridge and sit on that pillar and think out our next move."

As soon as they began to cross the bridge, they heard familiar voices. They looked across the lava pit and discovered where the voices were coming from. The gorons were in Dodngo's Cavern. Argus was with the gorons. Link shouted over to him.

"Hey Argus! How's it going, buddy? What are you doing in here?"

Argus turned in the direction of the voice and realized it was Link and waved at him.

"Hey, brother! Long time no see! We are scouting the cavern out for loose rock deposits. What are you guys up to? Have you seen any dodongos yet?"

Link shook his head.

"I haven't seen any. Navi saw one on an upper floor, but we have bigger problems right now. There is a huge lizard hoard in the room ahead of us! We can't get past them. There are just too many of them."

Argus scratched his head.

"You don't say. Hmmm...Wait! I have an excellent idea. Me and two gorons are going to come over to assist you. It's the least we can do after you saved our tribe."

One of the gorons beside him gave him a nudge.

"Chief told us to search for more loose rock deposits, brother!"

"I know that! Go and tell the chief to send in more gorons. Tell him I'm taking some gorons to help our friend Link.

He pointed to two other gorons.

"You two! Follow me. We are going to help our comrade Link."

The goron Argus had sent off was on his way out of the cave while he and the two gorons went over to the edge of the lava pit. Link yelled over some advice.

"There is a platform that rises out of the lava pit. When it rises, jump onto it and over here."

Argus laughed at the advice he had given him.

"You don't know gorons at all, do you? Our bodies are like rocks and we can withstand extreme temperatures. Walking in lava is like walking in water to us."

Without another word, the three gorons roared and jumped into the lava pit. Afterwards, they walked over to the pillar Link, Charlie and Navi were on and began to climb it. Shortly after, Argus and the three gorons reached the top and pulled themselves onto the pillar. Link and Charlie both had surprised expressions on their faces. Argus winked at them.

"I forgot to mention! We know how to climb as well. Now, lead me and my fellow gorons to this room full of lizards you were telling me about."

Charlie, Link and Navi led The gorons to the door. One of the gorons grabbed the door and opened it easily with one pull. As soon as they entered, there was a deafening noise of hissing lizards. Argus looked at them closely and smirked.

"You guys were right about them being lizards, but they are more than just lizards. These are baby dodongos! I have been attacked by them in the past. They are very hostile if you try to enter their territory. I just hope there isn't a fully grown dodongo around. They can be very hard to kill sometimes. Their tail is their weak point and they don't let you near it without a fight. Okay, guys. Let's kill these things! I want you humans to stay far back near the entrance to this room. This is going to be messy."

Argus and the other two gorons curled into balls and rolled around. The small dodongos were trying to jump on them, but they were either missing their targets or they were jumping on then sliding off. It didn't appear like the gorons were accomplishing much by rolling around. The dodongos were just hissing violently and hopping out of the way. Suddenly, spikes started to stick out of the gorons the faster they rolled! They resembled three hedgehogs rolling around with lizards. The dodongos weren't fast enough to dodge their spikes. One by one, the dodongos were getting impaled on their spikes. Dodongo guts were splattering everywhere. After awhile, Link and Charlie closed their eyes to the sight. They were both afraid they were going to get sick. Navi hid in Link's hat for the same reason. After a few agonizing hisses, Argus rolled over to Link. He tapped Link on the shoulder lightly.

"Open your eyes, brother! The deed is done."

He opened his eyes as did Charlie. There wasn't a single dondongo left alive. Squished and impaled dodongos littered the ground. He patted Argus on the back.

"Thank you for dealing with that dodongo hoard so efficiently. Where did you guys learn that awesome move?"

Argus grinned.

"We were granted Magic by the great fairy on the mountain top. About four years ago, our tribe was exploring this mountain for a place to house our largest goron named Biggoron. He is bigger and taller than most of the houses you humans build. Anyway, on our way up the mountain, we stumbled upon her cave by accident. We walked in and she appeared in front of us and granted us magic power and told us of a secret rolling technique. She then told us how to use it. We haven't used it in a very long time. I'm actually not sure why the chief didn't try to use it on that human in black armor that blocked this cave."

Link nodded. He enjoyed hearing stories from the different people he met.

"That was an interesting story, buddy. As for your chief not using that move, he was probably under pressure and forgot about it."

Argus smiled and patted Link on the back. It knocked him onto the ground. Argus grinned.

"Sorry, brother! I guess I got carried away. That was a very nice thing to say about our chief. He's always been a fair chief to us gorons and he's never raised a hand in anger against us unless we deserve it obviously."

Link got up and dusted himself off.

"That's alright. Don't worry about it. I like your chief. Like you said, he seems like a fair and cheerful leader. Should we move onto the next room?"

Argus looked over to the other gorons and they raised their arms and roared.

"I think my friends here are ready. Lead on, brother. And you too, brother Charlie."

The party of adventurers moved into the next room. There were a lot of weird looking statues and a scattering of bats near the ceiling flying around. In the center of the room, there was a large stone platform with a huge pressure activated switch on top. They also saw a barred door on the other side of the room. Theyu immediately assumed that thr switch was for the door and they started to look around for a way to get on top of the platform. They soon discovered the solution to their problem. There was a small ladder. However, there was one of the weird statues in front of it. Argus and the two gorons walked over to the statue and proceeded to move it. Suddenly, just as they started to move it, it began to glow red and roar. The three gorons gasped in surprise and dropped the statue. It then started to jump all over the room roaring. Link was flabbergasted. He had never seen a statue actually come to life before! Now, the statue turned in his direction and started to jump towards him. It was getting very close to him when Charlie shouted at him.

"Link! Get out of the way or you will get crushed by that thing!"

Seeing that Link didn't respond or move, He took action and ran over to Link and pushed him out of the way. Unfortunately, this put Charlie right in front of the jumping statue instead of Link. Charlie closed his eyes expecting to be crushed by the statue when he heard a loud _Smash!_ He opened his eyes and he saw that Argus was in front of him. He was covered with white powdered stone. The other two gorons were behind him also covered in white powdered stone.

"Whu-What happened? Where did the statue go?"

"We crushed it, brother! Me and the my friends combined our strength and gave the statue three hard punches. It shattered into little pieces, brother! That was very heroic what you did for Link! You could have perished yourself but you pushed him out of the way anyway. Nice work, Charlie! You're a hero."

Link walked over to Charlie and patted him on the shoulder.

"Thanks for saving my life, buddy. I don't know what came over me. I couldn't look away from that statue. You're learning how to be heroic every day, buddy! I'm glad I can count on you to help me out when I'm in trouble."

Argus had an explanation.

"I think that statue had the power to hypnotize anyone it stared at. I felt funny when I stared into it's eyes and noticed there were strange glowing lights coming from the eyes. Now, are one of you guys going to push that switch?"

Charlie walked over to the ladder and climbed it and pushed the switch. It pressed down flat and the door at the far end of the room unlocked. Charlie climbed down and gave Link a thumbs up.

" I was happy to help, Link. So far, this hero business is kinda fun."

The rest of the party laughed aloud at Charlie's statement.

They entered the next room only to find a large flight of stairs. They climbed the stairs and when they reached the top, they realized that they were one floor up from where they started. Link and Charlie looked down and they could just make out the lava pits and the pillar they jumped to. Just to one side of them, there was a stone block with writing on it. Charlie tried to read it, but he couldn't make it out.

"What kind of writing is this? It's a bunch of strange scribbles!"

Argus walked over and looked at the writing and groaned.

"This writing is in hylian. I only learned a small bit when I went to Hyrule castle with the chief. I was very young then, so I couldn't remember how to get back earlier. If I'm right, it says something like this: "Giant lead dodongo. When it sees Fred, a new way to grow will be coping."

Link scratched his head in confusion.

"Argus, I think you translated that wrong. That makes no sense. Who is Fred? And where is this lead dodongo? And what was that about a new way to grow will be coping? Hahaha! I'm sorry, Argus! Don't feel bad! Does anybody else know Hylian?"

Navi flew in front of Link.

"I do! The deku tree taught me a little hylian! I'll see if I can translate it."

Navi looked at the message closely. She nodded and reported back to Link.

"I think this is what it says. "Giant dead dodongo. When it sees red, a new way to go will be open."

He nodded at Navi.

"That makes more sense! I saw that big skeleton when we entered these caverns. So, when it sees red, we will be able to go a different way?"

Navi nodded.

"I think that's what it says. Look, Link. There is a bridge above the skeleton."

The party walked over to the bridge and looked down. They could crearly see the skeleton and it's eyeless sockets. For some odd reason, it's mouth was shut. They crossed the bridge to the other side and there was only a small ledge with a couple plants growing on it. On closer examination, the plants were bomb flowers. Link remembered how he unblocked this cave and a plan was beginning to form in his mind.

"I've got it! I will grab a bomb flower and I will pass it to one person. That person passes it to the next and so on and the last person drops it into the eye socket. I think that's what we have to do in order for the skeleton to see red. It's worth a try. Let's get started!"

Link picked a bomb flower and quickly passed it to Charlie. He then passed it to Argus and he passed it to one of the gorons and he dropped it into the eye socket not a moment too soon. It exploded in the socket and turned the eye a dull red! Link raised his arms and cheered.

"Woohoo! I was right! Now, let's do the same thing to the other eye!"

They repeated the process to the other eye and the mouth opened! The party turned and ran to the stairway. They ran down the stairs, through the room with the staues, through the room where the baby dodongos were and out on the bottom floor. They were breathless and exhausted. They rested for five minutes and then they proceeded towards the skull. When they got closer, they realized that there was a door cleverly concealed behind the dead dodongo's mouth. Before they entered, Argus approached Link.

"Brother, I want to give you something as thanks for saving our tribe."

Argus reached into a sack one of the gorons was carrying and produced a medium sized bag and handed it to Link.

" That is a bomb bag, brother. There are still twenty bombs inside it. I was supposed to use them to loosen rock depisits, but I want you to have it. We used a fair amount of bombs and we loosened a lot of rocks with them!"

"Thanks, buddy! I appreciate it.", said Link.

Link opened the door. When he entered, he gasped in surprise. Max was standing there staring at him. Link drew his sword.. Max just grinned at him.

"Is that any way to say hello to your old friend? Drawing a weapon? Charlie! Good to see you again! Still keeping up with that idiot Link?"

Link glared at him. He wasn't going to be taunted by him. Not this time.

"What do you want, Max?"

Max grinned at Link.

"What do I want? First, I want you to stop calling me Max! My father, Lord Ganondorf renamed me! He gave me a more evil name! From now on, you can call me Vaati! I am an evil sorcerer and the name suits me! Let me show you my power! You thought you saw the last of the dodongos eh? Not quite! Get a load of this, guys!"

Vaati waved his hands and evil magic shot out of them and hit the ground with a deafening blast. It raised a large dust cloud. When the dust cleared, there was a giant dodongo in front of the party! Vaati laughed aloud.

"Hahahaha! Have fun with this monster, Link! This monster can breath a lot of fire and his jaws are like a steel vice! Charlie! I have an offer for you! Ditch that loser Link and join me! Together, we can take over all of Hyrule with my father! Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Don't do it, Charlie! He's trying to trick you! Join him and you be just as evil as he is!", yelled Link.

Charlie glared at Vaati.

"I'll never join you! You almost killed Link! Do you think I'd want to join you after that? Go to hell, you maniac!"

Vaati laughed aloud.

"Fine by me, Charlie. It was nice to know you guys! Tell your goron friends I say goodbye! Have fun! Hahaha!"

Vaati disappeared a cloud of purple smoke. Link turned his attention to the giant dodongo. He started to inhale. Suddenly, he breathed out a huge fireball. It shot out and narowly missed Link's head. Link groaned aloud. First the baby dodongos and now this big monstrosity! Even with the three gorons, how were they ever going to defeat something that big? After it shot the fireball, it curled into a ball and began to roll towards the party at an alarming speed! The party dodged it just in time as the dodongo hit the wall. It growled and walked over fast in argus's direction and picked him up in his mouth! Suddenly, the dodongo grabbed argus with it's tongue and swallowed him!

End of Chapter


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Link, Charlie, Navi and the two gorons gasped in alarm. They just witnessed their friend Argus get swallowed by the giant dodongo. The two gorons began to weep openly.

"Argus! You were like a brother to us! You can't be dead. Not after all we've been through!", cried one of the gorons.

Link walked over and put a comforting hand on the crying goron's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. Argus was a brave goron. I am going to miss him as well.", he said sadly

The goron stopped crying and glared at Link.

"What do you mean "was"? Our brother Argus still lives! Just you wait and see!"

"Of course he is.", said Link sadly.

Link just realized something as he was talking to the crying goron. Argus never told him the names of the two gorons. He tapped the goron's shoulder.

"Listen. I know you're sad, but Argus never told us your name or the other goron's name for that matter."

The goron looked up at Link and wiped his eyes.

"Oh he didn't? Well I guess I can tell you now. I'm Drexel and this is my twin brother Aurdain."

Navi butted in.

"Guys, I'm glad we know your names, but don't you think we should be paying attention to that giant monster stomping towards us?"

Just as the words left her mouth, the giant dodongo stomped right in front of the five travelers. It inhaled and appeared to be getting ready to breathe out a fireball when it suddenly stopped and started to choke. It then closed it's mouth and spit out something round. It shot out of it's mouth and hit the wall behind the five adventurers. They turned to look at it. It appeared to be a medium sized rock. Suddenly, the rock appeared to be moving! That's when they realized that they weren't looking at a rock. It shifted and uncurled. It was Argus! The small goron was dripping wet from dodongo saliva, but he was very much alive. The five travelers went over to embrace their friend they thought had perished while the giant dodongo recovered from choking.

"Argus! We thought you were dead, buddy! It's good to see you alive and well!", said Link as he patted his sticky and wet shoulder. He quickly wiped his hand on his tunic.

"Eww! Dodongo spit! That is so stinky and sticky!"

Drexel and Aurdain hugged Argus tightly.

"Brother! You're alive! We thought the grim reaper used his scythe on you! I doubted Link's words at first, but then I quickly assumed you were gone! Don't ever scare us like that again!", said Drexel as he wept on Argus's shoulder.

"We don't know how we would've got by without you! I'm glad you're still with us!", said Aurdain as he wiped his eyes with his muscular arm.

Charlie walked in front of Argus but decided not to put a hand on him.

"Welcome back, Argus. I have a question for you. How did you survive in there? You weren't in there long, but how did you survive the trip into that thing's stomach?"

Argus looked over at the giant dodongo. He was starting to recover his strength.

"I will tell you quickly because the dodongo is recovering. Long story short, I never went into that thing's stomach. When he swallowed me, I quickly grabbed for something. I ended up grabbing that thing's uvula and that's why it choked and spit me out. If I didn't grab that thing, I wouldn't be standing here because I would've fallen into that thing's stomach and likely died. Now enough about that! Let's figure out how to kill this thing. I think I have a plan. Here me out. These things apparently eat anything. What if we fed it bombs?"

Aurdain nodded slowly.

"Sounds like a reasonable plan, brother. Our technique we learned from the great fairy would be useless against a dodongo that size. It's skin looks a lot thicker than ours. We would just bounce off him and get sent flying."

Drexel looked at the group around him and he noticed Link was deep in thought. He would look at his sword and then look at the dodongo. He put a hand on Link's shoulder and snapped him out of his deep thinking. He looked at Drexel in confusion.

"What is it, buddy? Can't you see I'm thinking?"

Drexel sighed.

"Forget about it, Link. I know what you are thinking and it won't work. That thing's skin is too thick. We already know our technique won't work against him. What makes you think your sword will do any better? It would just bounce harmlessly off and you might break your blade. Argus's idea is best."

Link sighed.

"So be it. I'll get out my bombs."

Link reached behind him under his shield and brought forth a bag. He then reached into the bag and pulled out five bombs and placed them on the floor. Argus then put his plan into action.

"Okay. Everybody grab a bomb each. Except Navi. We are going to wait until it tries to breathe a fireball and then we are going to throw a lit bomb into it's mouth. It will then swallow it and the bomb will explode in it's stomach. This is going to be risky. We have to time this right. Otherwise, we will end up on the menu. Don't get yourself eaten and for the love of god, don't get stepped on! This is a giant male dodongo! They are very agressive! There is a lit torch on each wall. Light your bombs with those when that dodongo is close. Let's get started everyone!"

Everyone grabbed a bomb and went separate directions in the large room as the dodongo recovered. It took a quick glance around and noticed one of it's prey was nearby. It was Charlie. As soon as he saw the dodongo walking in his direction, he made his way over to a nearby wall torch. The dodongo was closing in on him. It was excited to have it's first meal since it was created. It opened it's mouth as it got closer to Charlie. He started to feel the cold hand of fear. He quickly snapped out of it and lit his bomb and threw it in the dodongo's mouth not a moment too soon. It swallowed the bomb in confusion. Seconds later, all that could be heard was a loud _Boom!_ Coming from the dodongo. It groaned in pain and fell down. Black smoke began to pour out of it's mouth. Argus's plan seemed to be working. That bomb seemed to really hurt the dodongo's internal organs. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, the dodongo got up again! It roared in anger and charged towards Link with surprising speed.

"Watch out, Link! He looks very angry!", shouted Argus.

Link saw the dodongo getting closer and he quickly dashed towards a wall torch. The giant lizard was getting tired of seeing his prey running away so easily! On top of that, his stomach was really hurting! These morsels were going to pay for hurting him. He knew that it might hurt a little, but he was going to try to roast his foolish prey. He inhaled and got ready to breathe a fireball.

Link was waiting for this. He lit his bomb at the wall torch and tossed the bomb into the dodongo's mouth. It exploded in it's mouth because the dodongo was just about to breathe a fireball when it was thrown in. The dodongo's head took most of the blast. He stood there and coughed. He then spit out pieces of flesh and shards of teeth. Suddenly, the giant lizard collasped in a giant heap. The explosion in the mouth proved fatal.

"I-is it dead?", asked Charlie nervously.

Argus nodded.

"Yes I believe so. The blast in the mouth must have done some serious damage. Wait! Something is happening!"

The dodongo suddenly began to glow white. Shortly after, it exploded and all that was left was a big cloud of purple smoke.

"That thing was created by Max I mean Vaati's dark magic. I don't think I've seen the last of him. Well done everyone! Especially you, Argus. It was you who came up with that idea with the bombs. Nice going!"

Argus smiled.

"Don't be giving me all the credit now. You threw the second bomb that killed him. You're a brave kid, Link!"

Link scuffed his boots in embarrassment.

"Aw it was nothing. All in a day's work. I couldn't have got here without everyone's help."

"You did better than us, brother! Me and Aurdain didn't even get a chance to throw a bomb. We were pretty much on the sidelines.", said Drexel.

"That goes for me too!", sighed Navi.

Link could sense that they were feeling down. He decided to try and cheer them up.

"Look, guys. It doesn't matter if you didn't get a chance to help in the fight. What matters is that you helped just by being here with me. Drexel and Aurdain, I appreciate your help. You two are strong and reliable and like I said before, I wouldn't have made it this far without your help. Navi, you've had your bad moments, but the scouting you did of some of the rooms was extremely helpful. Except for the dodongo filled room, but we won't go there."

Argus patted Link on the back lightly.

"Well said, brother. I think they needed that. Look at Drexel and Aurdain. They look better already."

The two gorons were smiling and whispering to each other and then laughing. They then came over and thanked Link.

"Thanks for cheering us up, brother. By the way, we were glad to help! If you need help with anything else, you only have to ask.."

"Thanks for the somewhat kind words, Link. I will try to continue helping you as you continue on your journey.", said Navi

Suddenly, a blue portal appeared in front of the travelers. Argus issued caution.

"Be careful. It might be a trap."

Link shook his head.

"This is no trap, guys. This is a portal to the entrance. I've encountered one of these already trust me."

They trusted Link's word and stepped into the portal and in seconds, they were back at the entrance to dodongo's cavern. They walked out of the cave. Everyone quit working on the stone for the day. Pickaxes were lying around the entrance to the caverns. Argus turned to Link.

"Wait here. I will go and tell the chief the good news. Let's go, Drexel and Aurdain."

The three gorons made their way up the mountain back to their home. Link, Charlie and Navi waited around the entrance to the caverns. About fifteen minutes later, Darunia and a group of gorons showed up. Darunia was smiling proudly.

"Congratulations, Link! I heard you, Charlie, Navi, Argus and the twins Drexel and Aurdain cleared out Dodongo's Cavern. Now we no longer have to worry about being attacked. As promised, here is the Sacred Stone of Fire!"

Darunia handed Link the Spiritaul Stone! The gorons around him were cheering wildly.

"Brother, you should visit the great fairy on this mountain top. She will surly help you out like she did for us. I call you and Charlie my new brothers. Don't worry. There's no ceremony involved. Good luck with the great fairy and the rest of your journey, brother!"

Link, Charlie and Navi made their way up the mountain, leaving behind many cheering gorons. However, one of the gorons wasn't cheering. When Darunia and the rest of the gorons made their way back to their home, the goron made his way down the mountain towards Kakariko Village.

Ganondorf and Vaati were waiting just outside Kakariko Village. Ganondorf held his hand out at the goron and shot him with a blast of magic. When the smoke cleared, the gorons was a small man! He had a clever goron disquise on created by his lord and master.

"Make your report, spy! It better be good news!", snapped Ganondorf.

The spy cringed.

"I'm afraid the news is bad, my lord. The one called "Link" and "brother" has obtained the spiritual stone of fire and cleared the Dodongo's caverns"

"What? That's impossible!" He turned to Vaati. "I thought you said he was toast along with his friends!"

Vaati bowed to his father.

"I'm sorry, Father. I thought they were finished after I unleashed that monster."

Ganondorf frowned.

"Vaati, you are my son. I'm very proud of your progress. So I'm going to leave Link for you to deal with. Try to kill him if you can. That fool is disrupting my plans! If he has the Spiritual Stone of Fire, chances are he has the one from the forest too. I searched that dead tree and I couldn't find any trace of it anywhere . I want you to stop his progress. One way or another, I want him eliminated and I want him to be just a memory as we take control of this world!"


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Link and Charlie were climbing Death Mountain. They were making good progress. There was a small uphill path they were taking. When they made it to the top of the hill, they both sat down and took a break. They had not taken a break since they were in Dodongo's Cavern and they were both exhausted. They sat down and began to discuss events they had experienced so far since they came to this world.

"I know that I have been here longer than you Charlie, but I still feel out of place. I'm still finding it a little weird that I'm Link. I changed my appearance as soon as I got here and you and Max looked the same except you were wearing kokiri clothing."

Charlie nodded in agreement.

"Yeah that is different. I wouldn't complain too much, buddy. You've become a hero since you arrived here. If Max was here and not an evil puppet, he would say the same thing. I hope we can eventually get Max back to normal again. I miss him. I'm also wondering how we are going to get back to our reality. Have you ever told anyone about that?"

Link nodded.

"Yes. I told Princess Zelda and Impa my story. They looked at me like I was insane. I'm not really worried about that anymore. When this is all over, I think I'm going to live in this reality. I really like it here. I kinda miss my mom, but that's okay. Maybe I will get a chance to see her again someday."

Charlie smiled.

"You're not the only one. When I first arrived here, I was frightened. Mido locked me and Max up. Shortly after you found us, I wasn't scared anymore. The kidnaping scared me a little as well. If I would've stayed to help Max, he might not have got recaptured and turned evil by those gerudos. We have to try and snap him out of it before he tries to kill one of us again. I think if we can get him back to normal, I'd stay here as well. By the way, why is Navi so far behind?"

Link smiled.

"Oh her. I let you walk ahead before and I tried to explain to her that we were from another reality. She called me crazy and told me to leave her alone. Hey Navi! Are you coming?"

Navi finally caught up with the pair and flew over to Link.

"What do you want, Link? You need some help to get back to your reality or something?"

Link frowned at Navi.

"Navi, I tried to tell you. I was serious when I said that. Me, Charlie and Max are from another reality. When me and you first met, that's when I arrived here. I was convinced I was dreaming and that's why I called you a flying lightbulb."

Navi began to glow red.

"That is total nonsense! I will not talk to you about this anymore! That's the craziest thing I've ever heard!"

Link sighed. There was no point trying to speak to her when she was in a bad mood because she would never listen.

"Fine, Navi! I guess we should continue climbing this mountain!"

Link and Charlie stood up and continued on their way with Navi following behind grumbling about something.

They climbed up another small hill and noticed a very wide path. Link sensed danger. Something wasn't right. He tapped Charlie on the shoulder.

"I don't like this, buddy. It's too quiet. This would be the perfect spot for an ambush. Be on your guard."

Charlie nodded.

"I agree, Link. Thanks for the advice. I'll keep my eyes open as we walk."

Beyond the wide path high up on the summit of Death mountain. Vaati watched The pair as they made their way closer toward him. He grinned evilly. He would send boulder raining down on their heads!

"This will teach you fools not to mess with me! This is for destroying that giant dodongo and getting me in trouble with my dad!"

Vaati waved his hands and a small orb began to appear in his hands. It quickly started to get larger in size until it turned into a huge pile of floating boulders! Vaati released it and it began to roll off the summit in the direction of Charlie and Link.

The three travelers were making their way carefully forward, both looking for any signs of an ambush. Suddenly, Link stopped in his tracks. Charlie and Navi turned to him.

"What's wrong, Link? Why did you stop?", asked Charlie.

"I hear roaring. It sounds like thunder"

Charlie turned around to look up in the sky. What he saw took his breath away. Just ahead of them was a huge cliff and there were a lot of boulders falling down that cliff! He nudged Link urgently.

"Uh, Link? That wasn't thunder. Look!"

He pointed to the boulders falling down the cliff. Some of the had already fallen down and they were rolling towards them! The path had an uphill climb where the boulders fell so when they fell, they kept on rolling.

Link realized that he had to act quickly . He grabbed Charlie by the hand and made a dive to the right hand side. Just after he dived, a bunch of boulders went crashing by. One boulder missed Link's head by a fraction. Link looked over at Charlie.

"So, we did walk into an ambush. I bet Vaati sent those boulders flying down that cliff. He's more determined than ever to get rid of us. I'm gonna make that bastard Ganondorf pay someday for turning Max against us. Let's move on."

Vaati continued watching from above. He cursed in anger. They avoided the rockslide altogether! Link was becoming a lot more cunning than he realized. He would have to step up his efforts to eliminate them.

"You win this round, Link! Next time, I'm going to kill you and Charlie!"

Vaati disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

The three travelers made their way to the big cliff. Charlie and Link groaned. This was going to be hard to climb.

"Okay. There are wooden planks set into the cliff face all the way up the cliff. Climbing it shouldn't be a problem. It's just going to be exhausting."

Link looked up the cliff. He noticed there was a ledge halfway up the steep cliff.

"Okay. There is a ledge halfway up. Let's try and make it there. Then we can relax. Let's go, Charlie!"

They both started the accent up the steep cliff. At first the climb was easy. Then about one third of the way up, they both started to feel tired.

"Come on, Charlie. We can do this. We gotta climb a little higher up until we reach that ledge. Then we can rest up until we feel better and then we'll climb up the rest of the way."

The climb was painful and hard for the both of them. After five minutes of climbing, they finally made it to the ledge. They sat down in a heap and took a break.

Ten minutes later, they were ready to go. They started climbing the rest of the way up. It took all the strength the two could muster to make it to the top. As soon as they reached the top, they saw something unexpected. The owl Kaepora Gaebora was in front of them perched on a sign! Link Groaned.

"Oh no. Not the chatty owl.", said Link under his breath.

The owl looked at the two and hooted in greeting.

"Hoot! Hoot! Hello, fellas. I'm surprised to see you two all the way up here. But I must say, it was a really smart move. The great fairy lives in the cave beside me. Go and see her. She will likely make you stronger. After you are done, I may be able to help you. See you when you come back."

Link went to walk in the cave with Charlie when he stopped. He looked at the owl oddly.

"Wait a minute! How long have you been perched there? Didn't you see who threw those boulders at us?"

"What boulders? I just got here shortly after you reached this summit so I'm afraid I didn't see anybody throwing boulders. I'm glad you two didn't get hit by any. Now, the great fairy awaits."

Link shrugged and he and Charlie walked into the cave. As soon as they walked in the cave, they heard a girl's laughter. Suddenly, a tall woman appeared in front of the two travelers. She had red hair and there were green vines covering most of her body except for her head.

"Greetings, travelers. I am the great fairy. I am going to grant you magic power. Please accept it."

The great fairy shot magic at Link and Charlie. They both felt funny for a few minutes. After awhile, they felt better.

"Now, child with the sword. I want you to try your spin attack. Don't worry. Nobody will be harmed."

The great fairy shot Charlie with magic and he suddenly had a magical shield around his body. Link got ready to do his spin attack. He held his blade and got ready to spin. Before he released, he noticed his sword was starting to glow blue! He waited a little longer and it was glowing red and his sword resembled a light saber! He then released his spin attack. The force of the spin attack was so strong that it almost sent him flying. Waves of magical energy shot out of his sword. He looked at his blade in wonder. That spin attack was amazing! He looked over at Charlie and he was alright. He still had a magical shield around him. He looked over at the great fairy.

"Thank you so much! I don't know what to say."

The great fairy merely smiled.

"Not a problem at all, human. If you are near the castle, I have a friend you should visit. I believe your fairy partner knows where exactly she lives."

Navi smiled.

"I know exactly where she is located. I will show you, Link."

Link smiled and he and Charlie walked out of the cave.

When they got outside, the owl was still there.

"Hoot! Hoot! Did you get some power from the great fairy?"

Link smiled.

"Yeah I did. Thanks for asking, Kaepora."

"Not a problem, lad. Now, I am going to fly you two down this mountain! It will save your legs a lot of walking. Link, climb onto my back. Charlie, I will carry you in my talons."

Link got onto the owl's back and Charlie grabbed onto the owl's talons.

"Hold on tight, guys! Next stop Kakariko Village!"

The owl took off. When they were in the air. Link looked down and he could see the base of death mountain in the distance. Charlie closed his eyes the whole flight. After what seemed like seconds, they were in Kakariko Village. Link and Charlie thanked the owl.

"No problem, guys. Now, I must be off. See ya!"

Link started to think about the strange things that owl could do. Normal owls couldn't speak and they most certainly weren't that big. Also other owls would never be able to carry that kind of weight. Link was starting to think that there was something strange about that owl.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Ralis the zora was sent by King Zora to find help at Hyrule Castle. Shortly after Ganondorf and his son made their appearance, Lord Jabu Jabu fell into a deep sleep and couldn't be awakened. The zoras put his favorite food in front of him, hoping he would awaken and eat his meal. That plan failed miserably. He never budged. They had to figure out a way to awaken him because the zora king's daughter Princess Ruto was still trapped inside the giant fish. Ralis made his way quickly down the zora river towards Hyrule Castle. The king was counting on him to complete his important task. As Captain of the zora guard, he swore he wouldn't rest until he found some assistance at Hyrule Castle.

Link, Charlie and Navi were making their way out of Kakariko Village. All were in deep thought about their next destination. They had absolutely no idea where to find the final Spiritual Stone. Link sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"So, does anybody know where we go next?"

Navi shook her head.

"No I'm afraid I don't. Maybe we should take a small break and try to clear our minds. I'm sure we will think of a solution."

Charlie brightened up.

"Yeah! That's an excellent idea. Let's find something fun to do for a little while."

Link nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good. After all the adventures I've had so far, I could use a break myself. Let's not take too long of a break though. We still have a quest to fulfill."

The three travelers walked out into Hyrule field. They started to walk in the direction of the Castle Town, when Charlie spotted a wagon in the distance. When they got closer, Link recognized the two people instantly. It was Talon and Malon! As soon as they saw Link, they waved at him and smiled. Talon greeted Link and his friends.

"Hi, Link! Long time no see! Me and Malon just got back from delivering some milk. Do you and your friends want to visit Lon Lon ranch? We would love the company, wouldn't we Malon m'dear?"

Malon looked up at his father. She was a little mad at him still after he kept her waiting while he delivered milk to the castle a while back, but she still smiled and nodded.

"Sure, Dad. Sounds good to me. I want to show Link and his friends our horses. Come on, guys! Race you there!"

Charlie ran after Malon and Navi flew after him. Link was about to catch up with the two when Talon stopped him.

"By the way Link, thanks for helping me the other day. If you didn't wake me up when you did, Malon probably wouldn't have spoken to me anymore. She is still a little peeved, but she's starting to become more happier with me. Try to keep her in good spirits while your visiting okay Link?"

He nodded and turned and ran after Malon and his friends. Talon picked up the handles of the wagon and grunted as he pulled it home.

As soon as the three travelers entered Lon Lon Ranch, they felt relaxed. There were two buildings across from each other and straight ahead of them was a racetrack and a fenced off area to ride horses. They started to walk towards the racetrack when suddenly, a man wearing brown overalls with black hair and a mustache came walking around the corner. He almost bumped into Link on his way by. He scowled at him angrily.

"Out of the way, kid! I got a lot of work to do! I'm the only one who does any work around here! If it wasn't for me, this ranch would be a pigstye."

Just as those words left his mouth, Talon entered the ranch, dropped the wagon and glared at the man.

"Ingo! Quit your complaining and get back to work! You aren't the only one who works around here. Who do you think delivers the milk around here? Me and Malon do! If you don't like your job anymore, you can hit the road as far as I'm concerned. I'm getting tired of hearing you bitch and moan all the time!"

Ingo simply muttered an apology and grumbled to himself as he went into the building on the right. Talon sighed and looked at his guests.

"I'm sorry you kids had to hear that. Ingo has been grinding my gears for awhile now. Well, you guys have fun now! Malon, be a dear and show them around. I'm going to milk the cows."

Malon walked towards the racetrak and entered the fenced off area with Link and his friends. There were horses running around in all directions. Most of horses seemed fast, but the a one small horse that seemed to run faster than the others. Malon smiled as she saw Link, Charlie and Navi watch the small horse galloping around.

"That horse is named Epona. Isn't she a fast horse? This is where we let all of the horses run around. We put them back in the stables later where that mean man Ingo works."

Link tried to walk over to Epona, but she galloped away quickly. Malon giggled.

"So, you want to get closer to Epona, Link? I can teach you my horse calling song I have for her. My mother composed it. Now listen for a moment."

Malon sang the song. It sounded very nice and soothing. After she was done, she turned to Link and his companions.

"Isn't it a nice song? Let's sing together."

"Sorry, Malon. I have a terrible voice. I'd rather play it on my ocarina.", said Link.

"My voice isn't cut out for singing either. I don't have an ocarina to play it though.", said Charlie.

"I'll try and sing along!", said Navi.

Malon sighed.

"Charlie, you don't want to sing at all? Okay that's fine. Link, I can teach you this song on the ocarina. I used to play it with one myself. Now, put your fingers on the upper hole then the left hole and then the right hole and you will play the song. I call it Epona's song because she likes it so much."

Malon starting to sing again and Navi joined in. Link starting to play on his ocarina. Together, the three had a good melody. After the song was over, they were applauded by Charlie.

"Well done you guys! That sounded very nice."

Link smiled and turned to Malon.

"Thanks for letting us come to the ranch. We'd love to stay longer, but we gotta be on our way."

She sighed.

"I wish you could stay longer. I've got a parting gift for you and Charlie. Follow me to the house."

They followed her to the house and she told them to wait outside. She wasn't gone long. She came out with two bottles of milk.

"Here you guys go! Some Lon Lon Milk for the road. Take care of yourselves!"

They waved their farewells as they walked out of the ranch. They made their way towards Castle Town. Suddenly, a group of guards led by Captain Viscen walked out of the Castle Town. Beside Captain Viscen was a strange looking creature. It had fins al over it's body and it was pale white in color. Link waved at Captain Viscen as they got closer. Viscen smiled at the boy.

"Long time no see, lad. How have you been? I hope your stomach isn't bothering you anymore. What are you and your friends up to?"

"Well, nothing I guess. We were looking for the next spiritual stone, but we don't know where to look."

Viscen scratched his head.

"Why are you looking for spiritual stones for, lad?"

Link explained his quest to Viscen. He was almost certain he had told him already. He simply nodded.

"A wise decision to heed our princesses words and find the Spiritual Stones. As for the final one, I have no idea where it may be. This zora is the captain of the zora guard. His name is Ralis. He needs our assistance with his guardian god Lord Jabu Jabu. It seems that he has fallen into a deep slumber and won't wake up."

Ralis was listening to Link when he was talking about spiritual stones. He thought about it for a minute and then it hit him! He recalled Princess Ruto having a shiny sapphire that she always carried with her. He had asked King Zora about it and he told him that it was the Spiritual Stone of the water! He turned to Link.

"Hang on, human! I know where the stone you seek is located! Our princess Ruto has it, but she was swallowed by Lord Jabu Jabu and we have been unable to wake him up. Tell you what, if you help us to awaken Our Lord and rescue our princess, I'll make sure you get that stone. That's a promise!"

Viscen shrugged.

"Are you sure you can handle this, Link? Me and my soldiers can take care of this if you want."

He shook his head.

I want to help Captain Ralis. Do you know anybody that can help us find something to awaken their god?"

Viscen scratched his chin.

"Now that you mention it, I did hear that there was a brilliant scientist at Lake Hylia. He may be able to help you further. If me and my soldiers are no longer needed, we are going to go back into the Castle Town. I'm not about to let anybody get hurt or anything get stolen. Thefts and injuries are on the rise! Good luck, lad!"

Viscen and his soldiers marched toward town. Ralis turned to the three travelers.

"I know the way to Lake Hylia! Follow me, guys."

Captain Ralis of the zora guard led Link and his friends in the direction of Lake Hylia.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Link, Charlie and Navi were following Captain Ralis to Lake Hylia. Both Link and Charlie were getting tired from the long walk. Navi was tired of flying so she went to sleep in Link's hat until they were at the lake. Link tapped Ralis on the shoulder lightly.

"Excuse me, sir? Are we almost there yet?", asked Link as he gasped for breath.

Ralis rolled his eyes. These humans sure complain a lot. He turned his head and grinned.

"Patience, human! It is not much farther. You two really need to get in better shape. Our destination lies beyond the hill ahead. There is a fork in the road on the other side of this hill and we must keep going straight ahead. If we turn right, we will end up in Gerudo Valley. Just keep following me and don't go to the right. Is that clear?"

Link stood to attention and saluted Captain Ralis.

"Aye sir! Crystal clear!"

They continued walking forward. They made their way up the hill and down the other side. They kept going straight ahead and after what seemed like hours, they finally saw the entrance to Lake Hylia.

As soon as they entered Lake Hylia, they were taken aback by the sight of the clear and beautiful lake ahead of them. They looked across the lake and noticed a building . It had a wooden post in the ground next to it with a wooden cutout of a fish nailed onto it. Captain Ralis remembered his duty and pointed to a nearby house.

"We need to go inside that house. That is where the professor lives. He has helped us out in the past and I hope he will do so again."

They walked into the house and they saw an old white haired man in a white jacket standing in front of a table. He had his back turned to the travelers. When he heard the door close, he turned around to face the travelers. He walked over to Ralis and shook his hand.

"Good to see you again, Ralis! How have you and your people been doing?"

Ralis gave the professor a downcast look.

"That bad eh? Tell me what's wrong."

"Our guardian god is sick again, professor Masami. I'm afraid it is a lot more than just a cold this time. He has fallen into a deep sleep and will not awaken. It is the evil work of that maniac Ganondorf!"

Masami sat on a nearby chair and tried to think of a solution. Suddenly, he jumped out of his chair with excitement.

"Eureka! I had forgotten about the notes I wrote about the different species of fish I discovered in my youth. I treated a dreadfully sick bass I found floating lifelessly in the lake with a plant similar to seaweed that grows underwater here. It glows green. I wrapped it around the body of the fish and after a couple of days, the fish showed signs of improvement . I'm really glad I had the aquarium behind me back then. Otherwise it would have been very difficult to treat that fish."

Ralis scratched his chin. He may have found the answer to Jabu Jabu's problem. However, how was he going to get enough of the plant to wrap around his body? Ralis had a different idea. If he couldn't get wrapped up with it, why not try getting him to swallow it?

"Professor, is it dangerous to eat the plant?"

"I don't believe so, Ralis. But how are you going to feed it to him if he is unconsciencous?"

Ralis frowned. He had completely forgotten about that. The professor snapped his fingers.

"I think I have an idea, my friend. In my aquarium, I have a very smelly red fish. I believe it's called a reek fish. Believe me, it's well named! Take it with you in a bottle and see if he wakes up to the smell."

The professor got a long net and dipped it into his aquarium. Shortly after, he pulled out a red fish. The stinky fish made the whole lab smell awful! Link and Charlie were almost gagging from the smell, so they ran outside to get some fresh air. Shortly after, Ralis and the professor ran outside as well. They were coughing and breathing the fresh air in deeply. They had the red fish in a sealed bottle. The professor pointed at the water not far from his labrotory.

"The plant should be around that area. You will recognize it by the green glow. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to air out my lab!"

The professor walked back to his lab. Ralis turned to Charlie and Link.

"I will be back in a few minutes. Just sit here and be patient."

He jumped and dove into the water with a big splash. He was gone only for a moment when he resurfaced from the water holding a glowing plant. It had eight spear shaped leaves and they were almost six inches in length. He nodded in satisfaction.

"We have everything we need. Now we must return to my home."

Both Link and Charlie groaned aloud. Not another long walk! Ralis could sense what they were groaning about and held up his hand to silence them.

"We are taking another route back to my home. There is a mysterious portal in Lake Hylia that takes us directly to my home. Can you two hold your breath for long?"

Link smiled. What a convenient solution. He nodded yes to Ralis's question.

"Me and Charlie can hold our breath for almost ten seconds. What about Navi? She might get washed away when we are in the water."

They stood there for a minute and thought about a solution to their problem when suddenly, it hit Link! An empty bottle! She could simply be put in a bottle and released when they were at the home of the zoras! Link took off his hat and put his hand inside and brought forth Navi. She was fast asleep still. Link called her name quietly.

"Navi. Can you hear me? We need you to wake up."

She moved around a little and then she opened her eyes and looked at Link.

"What is it, Link? I'm very tired."

"We want to put you in a bottle so you don't drown when we got diving down to Ralis's home. Are you okay with that?"

Navi yawned loudly.

"Sounds good to me. Just don't take too long. I don't want to suffocate."

Link nodded and gently placed Navi in his bottle. He then put the bottle away. He looked over at Charlie.

"Are you ready for this?"

Charlie shrugged nervously.

"Not really. But if it's a faster route, let's go for it."

Ralis pulled out a long rope. It seperated into two separate ropes in the middle.

"Okay let's go. Dive into the water with me. You will be fine. Just don't let go of the rope."

All three leaped into the water. The temperature of the water almost made Link cry out. It was freezing cold. Ralis continued to swim even deeper. Link took a quick look around and there were different species of fish everywhere he looked. Link was hoping it wasn't much farther. He didn't know how long this trip was going to take. He glanced over at Charlie and he could tell he wasn't enjoying himself either. He opened his mouth suddenly and bubbles came out of his mouth. He looked at Link in alarm. He wasn't going to make it! Link noticed this and he turned to say something to Ralis when he quickly remembered he was underwater! How was he going to alert Ralis that there was a problem? He looked in Ralis's direction and he realized that they were heading for a cave. Link Noticed that Charlie was slowly losing his grip on the rope. He reached over with one hand and grabbed Charlie by the arm. Suddenly, things were starting to get dark. Link could hardly see Ralis now. He started to feel lightheaded. Shortly after, everything went black and Link passed out from lack of oxygen.

Link was dreaming. In his dream, he saw Max! He looked normal again! He wasn't wearing armor and he had a friendly look on his face. Link ran over to embrace him and suddenly, he grinned evilly and pulled out the Kokiri sword and stabbed Link in the stomach. Link could hear him laughing evilly as he collapsed in pain. Suddenly, Max disappeared and Charlie appeared. He starting to say something, but it sounded very quiet to Link. As soon as Charlie walked closer, he could hear his odd voice. But it wasn't his voice.

"Hold him still! I think he's still alive! Come on, Link! Open your eyes!"

Suddenly, Charlie disappeared and the dream began to fade. Link opened his eyes slowly. Ralis was looking down at him. He smiled with relief.

"You're alive! Thank the gods! I thought you drowned back there! You and Charlie passed out in the water. I had to go back and get you two. You're the first to wake up. We haven't gotten any response from your friend yet."

Link sat up in alarm. Was Charlie going to be alright? He stood up and saw three zoras attending to his friend. They were pushing on his chest and breathing in his mouth trying to revive him. Suddenly, Charlie opened his eyes slowly. The zoras backed away. He coughed violently and spit out some water. Link laughed with relief. He had thought he lost his best friend to that lake. He rushed over to Charlie's side.

"I'm so glad you're alright, man. I thought you drowned after Ralis told me that him and his zoras hadn't gotten any response from you."

Charlie grabbed his arm weakly.

"Link...Thank...you...I owe you my life for grabbing me by the arm back there. If you didn't, I would've been lost in the lake."

Link smiled.

"Not a problem at all. You would've done the same thing for me. I'm just happy that you're alive."

Ralis walked over to Link and Charlie.

"Sorry to interrupt but I want you two to rest after your ordeal. Later on, I will take you two to see our guardian god."

Link nodded happily. Ralis smiled and walked away. He reached behind him and brought forth the bottle containing Navi. He opened the bottle and let her out. She sighed with relief.

"Thank you so much, Link! I was getting cramped in that little bottle. Why is Charlie laying on the ground. You don't look so well yourself. What happened?"

"Me and Charlie almost drowned back there. We passed out from lack of oxygen."

Navi gasped in disbelief.

"Wow! I'm glad you two are alright. I don't know what I would've done if you two drowned in that lake. Who would've saved Hyrule if you drowned?"

Link smiled.

"I'm not sure. Maybe Brad would've continued my journey? That guy is awesome. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he actually did that if I drowned back there. He's definately got the skills. But anyway, we are alright. We just need to rest after dodging death."

Navi smiled. Brad would've been a good choice. She remembered fondly how he defeated Mido's leadership and killed him. She was glad that it didn't result in having to find a replacement for Link. She looked at Charlie and Link and they were both fast asleep. She followed suit. She laid down on a nearby ledge and went to sleep herself.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Link opened his eyes and to his surprise, he was floating! He looked around, but all he could see around him was a grey void.

"_Hello? Can Anybody hear me?"_, Yelled Link into the grey void.

A voice answered back. It was a girl's voice and it sounded familiar to Link.

"_Link! Can you hear me?"_

Link was confused. He looked around, but he didn't see anybody. He answered back hastily.

"_Yes I can hear you. Who am I talking to?"_

A figured appeared in front of him. It was Princess Zelda! Link was shocked.

"_Zelda?! What are you doing here? Where are we anyway?"_

Zelda smiled at Link.

"_I can tell you're confused. I used telepathy to enter your mind. We are now telepathically linked together. I wanted to tell you some things. First, let's go somewhere that's familiar to the both of us."_

Zelda's eyes glowed a bright blue and suddenly, they were both standing in the Hyrule Castle courtyard! Link was still confused.

"_So am I awake? Or am I dreaming this?"_

Zelda giggled.

"_Yes and no. You will appear to be asleep, but your mind is fully awake. I have had some troubling visions and I want to show them to you instead of just explaining them."_

Link nodded. Suddenly, everything started to go black around Link and Zelda. Her blue eyes were full of concern.

"_Someone is attempting to wake you up! If they succeed, you may experience some brain damage!"_

Suddenly, Link could hear voices. The first voice was Charlie's

"_Hey, Link! Time to get up, pal! Please wake up!"_

The next voice belonged to Navi.

"_Hey! Wake up, Lazybones! Rise and shine!"_

The last voice was Ralis.

"_Hey, human! Come on! My king wishes to speak with you!"_

Link was puzzled.

"_How do I stop them, Zelda?"_

Zelda's eyes glowed bright blue.

"_Tell them to stop. They should be able to hear you. Let them know what's going on!"_

Link shouted into the void.

"_Guys! Please don't wake me up! Me and princess Zelda's minds are telepathically Linked! If you wake me and break the link, I may get brain damage!"_

There was an loud gasp. Charlie answered back..

"_Okay, Link! We will leave you alone!"_

Link smiled and thanked him.

"_Thanks, man! See you in a bit when I wake up from this!"_

Suddenly, everything brightened up again and the link was stable.

"_Thank you, Link! You convinced your friends not to break the Link. Well done! _

Charlie, Ralis and Navi crowded around Link. Charlie was very confused.

"Captain Ralis, what is a telepathic Link?"

Ralis laughed.

"You're asking me? I have no idea! I didn't know such a thing was possible. I guess we might as well wait for Link to wake up."

Navi smirked.

"I'm still calling him lazybones!"

Link and zelda were standing in Hyrule Castle courtyard. Link looked around. It looked identical to the courtyard in the waking world.

"_So this isn't real? I'm not really in the castle courtyard? Where are you now?"_

Zelda smiled.

"_I am in the castle courtyard with Impa right now. I created this courtyard with my mind. This is how I picture the courtyard. It looks identical to the real thing doesn't it? Impa has been helping me to practice my telepathy. I entered her mind and she did the same to mine. As long as we are wearing this necklace, we can Link minds!"_

Link looked over at Zelda's necklace and gasped. It was the same necklace Impa had given him! Zelda noticed Link was looking at her necklace and she grinned.

"_What's wrong, Link? Does my necklace look familiar? It is the very same one you wear. It keeps away any evil visions, but it allows anybody with the blood of the Royal Family to use it. These are magical and rare necklaces, so guard it with your life. Your necklace grants you the ability to use telepathy without being one of the Royal Family of Hyrule. Anyway, I want to show you my visions. Hang on!"_

Zelda's eyes once again glowed a bright blue and suddenly, her an Link were back in the grey void floating around. Suddenly, shapes started to appear in front of Link's eyes. He looked away and when he turned back, he was in front of the King of Hyrule! Impa and Zelda were in front of his throne. Link went to tap Zelda on the shoulder. He got his hand close and it passed right through her shoulder. He heard giggling from nearby.

_Link! You're silly. This is a vision. You cannot touch things. People in these visions also can't hear or see you either."_

Zelda walked up to Link. She was behind her father's throne.

"_Future me wont respond to you. Just watch and listen."_

The king of Hyrule frowned.

"_Impa, I want you to take my daughter far away from here. It is no longer safe. Ganondorf has taken over most of the castle with his undead army. He is searching frantically for the Ocarina of Time and he is killing anyone who stands in his way. Take it with you. Give it to that child named Link and tell him to take the spiritual stones and go to the Temple of Time. Captain Viscen is trying to defend to the castle town. If he still lives, get him and his remaining soldiers to follow you. Tell them to evacuate the people and retreat to Kakariko Village. I don't want to retreat, but we are no match for Ganondorf's power! Go now!"_

Impa grabbed the princess and lead her to the stables. Link was amazed.

"_Wow! You saw all that? That's amazing!"_

Zelda smiled.

"_Thank you, Link. It's a rare gift. We're not done yet. I have more to show you."_

Zelda's eyes flashed blue and they appeared in Hyrule Castle town. People were being cut down by undead skeletons all over the place. Captain Viscen and his remaining soldiers were bravely fighting the skeletons, but there were far too many for the soldiers to handle. Captain Viscen and one of his soldiers were back to back.

"_We are greatly outnumbered, Captain! There are only a few soldiers remaining. What are your orders?"_

Captain viscen cursed angerily.

"_Dammit! There are too many! I want to save the castle town, but I think it's a lost cause. Let's see how many of the bastards we can kill before they finish us off! I need a real weapon to kill these things!"_

He tossed away his spear and reached behind his back and brought forth a beautiful claymore. He swung it with all his might at the approaching skeletons. Bones were flying everywhere. One of the skeletons dodged his blade and stabbed him in the shoulder with it's blade. Viscen gasped in pain and blood poured out of the wound. He snarled and chopped off it's head. Suddenly, Impa and Zelda came forth on a white horse. Impa yelled over to Viscen.

"_Captain! Call a retreat! The king wants everyone out of Castle Town! That includes you! Head to Kakariko Village."_

Visen nodded.

"_Most of the civilians retreated already. That just leaves my diminished force of guards. Alright everyone! Retreat! Head to Kakariko Village!"_

Suddenly, Ganondorf's horse galloped into Castle Town. Ganondorf sneered at Viscen and his remaining gurads. He turned to Vaati who was walking behind Ganondorf.

"_These fools are cowards, Vaati. They won't stay and try to defend their homes. How pathetic!"_

Vaati grinned evilly.

"_I couldn't agree more, father!"_

Ganondorf pointed at Impa and Zelda.

"_I know you two have the Ocarina of Time! Hand it over and I might spare your miserable lives!"_

Impa jumped off the horse.

"_Face me, you coward! I won't let you take the Ocarina of Time."_

Ganondorf grinned. Impa pulled out a sword. Ganondorf held out his hand. It started to glow green and he used telekinesis to get the sword out of Impa's hands. The blade was floating in front of her. Ganondorf tried to move the blade so it would strike her on the head. He brought his hand down with a roar and the blade slammed down into Impa's left shoulder. She cried in pain. She pulled the sword out and reached into her pocket and pulled out a black object. She threw it at Ganondorf and it exploded in a cloud of smoke. Impa ran and jumped onto the white horse and galloped out of Castle town towards Hyrule field. Just as they were exiting, they saw Link standing near the drawbridge. Zelda grabbed the Ocarina of Time and threw it in his direction. Suddenly, everything began to fade away. Zelda looked over at Link.

"_That is what I wanted to show you, Link. There is going to be a lot of bloodshed in Castle town in the very near future. You must collect the last two spiritual stones and come to the drawbridge outside Castle town. I will throw you the Ocarina of Time like you just saw."_

Link smiled.

"_I only need one more. Then I will be on my way"_

Zelda clapped her hands together.

"_That's excellent, Link! I want to show you a new song. Here take this."_

Zelda handed him a paper with notes on it.

"_That is the Song of Time. With my magic, you should have that paper when you awaken. Play that song in front of the altar in the Temple of Time. You must protect the Triforce! I am going to terminate the link. You should wake up shortly. Farewell, Link. See you soon."_

Suddenly, Princess Zelda disappeared and everything around Link went black. Link opened his eyes and Charlie, Ralis and Navi were staring back at him. He got up quickly and he realized he was back in Zora's Domain. Charlie patted him on the shoulder.

"So, how was that telepathic thing you were babbling about?"

Link rubbed his head.

"Zelda showed me her visions. It was very realistic. I forgot I was watching her visions. I felt like I was part of them. She told me to hurry and find the spiritual stones. She even gave me a song."

Ralis smirked.

"Come on, human! You were linked telepathically! You can't bring objects back! You were watching visions weren't you?"

Link nodded.

"She told me that with her magic, I would be able to bring the piece of paper back with me and here it is!"

Link held up a paper with notes on it. The same paper Zelda had given him in the telepathic link!

Charlie shivered.

"That's kinda creepy, man. How did she do that?"

He shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I'm going to play this song. Let's see here. Right, a, down, right, a, down. I think "a" is this big hole on my ocarina. Okay. Here goes!"

Link played the song perfectly and it echoed around the home of the zoras. When he finished, he turned to his friends.

"Now let's get that last spiritual stone!"


	24. Chapter 24

Hello people! I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for their reviews and comments. I really appreciate suggestions about my story as well. If anyone has any questions or comments about my story, don't be afraid to share them with me. Oh and by the way, thanks Kyle. I owe you one!

**Chapter 24**

Link, Charlie and Navi followed Captain Ralis to the throne room. Charlie noticed that Link had a very distracted look in his eyes. He gave him a light nudge with his elbow.

"Link, are you okay? Something doesn't seem right with you."

Link didn't reply. He simply kept following Ralis without saying a word. Nav saw this and flew in front of his face.

"Listen, Link! When one of us asks you something important can you please reply back? We are a little worried about you. Ever since you got out of that telepathic link and played that song, you've been unusually quiet. Is there something we should know?"

Ralis turned his head and realized that nobody was following him. He turned around and Charlie and Navi were confronting Link about something. Link sighed.

"Guys I'm sorry. My mind has been very occupied since that telepathic link. If Zelda's visions are true, Hyrule Castle is going to be overrun by Ganondorf and his undead soldiers. I've been thinking of trying to warn the people of the attack beforehand, but we need that last spiritual stone first."

Charlie clapped his hands in excitement.

"Link, that's an excellent idea! We can warn them of the attack! If there are far too many skeletons for the soldiers to handle, we might be able to at least evacuate everyone from the town to Kakariko. The big question remains. How do we get people to listen to us?"

Navi agreed with their ideas, but she wanted to concentrate on the present time not the future.

"Okay, guys! Let's concentrate on that Spiritual Stone. Ralis was taking us to his king remember?"

Ralis was behind them tapping his foot impatiently.

"That's right. I WAS leading you there until everyone stopped following me. Please continue to follow me this time."

They followed Ralis into the throne room. There was a fat zora wearing a crown sitting on the altar. Ralis bowed his head respectfully. He signaled Link and his friends to follow suit.

"Oh great King Zora! I have brought help with me." He pointed to Link and his friends. "This is Link, Charlie and Navi. They traveled with me to Lake Hylia to acquire medicine to help Lord Jabu Jabu and we think we may be able to treat him."

King zora smiled. His captain didn't let him down after all.

"Great work, Captain Ralis. Everyone else will be pleased with the good news once they return from their foraging duties. We were running low on food and basic medical supplies again. I want all of you to go see Lord Jabu Jabu and try the medicine on him. Maybe Princess Ruto will be discovered shortly after he awakens."

Ralis lead everyone into the altar of The Zora's guardian god. He was still in a deep sleep. Link passed the bottle containing the reekfish to Ralis. He walked in front of the giant fish and opened the bottle. Within seconds, everyone started to cough violently. Suddenly, Jabu Jabu's eyes opened up quickly. He smelled something very foul. He looked down at the source of the smell. It was a red fish in a bottle. Everyone around it was coughing. He roared in a bellowing voice.

"Get rid of that thing! Ye gods! It smells rotten!"

Ralis took the bottle and threw it behind him. It landed in the water and it sank to the bottom of the pond. Ralis bowed his head.

"My Lord! You are awake! How do you feel?"

He groaned.

"I am still not well, Ralis. That Human they call Ganondorf laid a curse on me. I will likely perish shortly if something isn't done soon. Who are these humans that stand before me? And what is that glowing light with wings supposed to be?"

Navi began to glow a dull red with anger. Ralis answered his Lord's questions.

"The humans are named Link and Charlie. The glowing light with wings is called a fairy and her name is Navi."

Lord Jabu Jabu nodded wisely.

"Ah I see. Now, I hope Princess Ruto didn't fall into my stomach. I tried to protect her from Ganondorf by swallowing her. I hope she is uninjured. Link, will you go look for me?"

Link nodded.

The giant fish opened his mouth. Link suddenly remembered the plant they obtained for him.

"Lord, I have a plant that may be able to cure the curse that was laid on you."

The giant fish smiled.

"Thank you human. When you enter my body, you will not be able to go far. Look for a large hole. That is the entrance to my stomach. Throw the medicinal plant in there."

The giant fish reopened his mouth and Link entered the fish's body. He couldn't stand the smell He looked behind him and he realized that Navi and Charlie stayed behind. He shrugged and continued to look for princess Ruto. Suddenly, he heard somebody crying. He followed the sounds and he found himself standing in front of a small female zora. She was huddled up in a corner crying miserably. Link tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up and screamed at Link.

"Eek! Who are you? Are you in league with Ganondorf? Get away from me!"

Link backed off. She was obviously upset. Link tried to reason with her.

"Hello. I'm sorry I startled you. My name is Link. Are you princess Ruto?"

The zora girl shrieked and backed away from Link.

"You ARE in league with him aren't you? Don't come any closer!"

Link was getting frustrated. This was getting him nowhere.

"Look, I'm not in league with Ganondorf! I need you to come with me."

"If you aren't with Ganondorf, how did you get in here anyway?"

Link smiled. Maybe the truth would help the situation.

"Me, my friends and your Captain Ralis traveled to Lake Hylia and got some medicine for your guardian god. We woke him up with a reekfish and he told me to throw this medicinal plant in his stomach. He said that there was a hole leading to his stomach around here somewhere. Can you show me where it is?"

The zora girl smirked.

"You were right about one thing. I am Princess Ruto. But I'm not showing you were that hole is to my Lord's stomach. That plant is probably poison!"

Link smacked his forehead with his hand. This was giving him a headache.

"What do I have to do to convince you? I'm not an assassin!"

Ruto was about to reply when she spotted somebody walking towards her and Link. When the unknown assailant got closer, Ruto realized that it was Captain Ralis. He put a hand on Ruto's shoulder.

"It's good to see you safe, Ruto. Now, Link here is telling the truth. He has been helping me to find medicine for our god. He is no assassin. You have to learn not be so hostile to newcomers. The hole to our lord's stomach is just behind you, Link. Toss the plant in and let's get out of here."

Link walked a short distance and found the hole. He threw the glowing plant in and turned around and walked over to Ruto and Ralis. Ruto walked up to Link and gave him a hug much to his surprise.

"Thank you for saving our Lord and me as well. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. You're my hero!"

Link was embarrassed. His face got red with embarrassment.

"Um no problem, Princess Ruto. Let's go outside now."

As soon as they got outside, they were greeted by at least a dozen zoras and Charlie and Navi. Ralis smiled.

"I see my zora patrol is back from foraging duties. Guys, this is Link. I'm sure you already met Charlie and Navi while I was gone. He and his friends helped me to get the medicine to treat our Lord."

The zoras cheered Link's name.

Lord Jabu Jabu expressed his thanks.

"Link, I want to thank you for helping Ralis gather medicine to treat my condition.

You saved my life. I can already feel the herb you fed me going to work. The pain is nearly gone. As thanks, I want to grant you the Zora's Sapphire. It is a rare treasure of the zora tribe."

Ruto walked up to Link and handed him the sapphire. She smiled sweetly at Link.

"You know, I never got to thank you properly. Pucker up!"

Ruto leaned over and kissed Link on the cheek. He backed away slightly. She giggled.

"I really like you. Please come back and visit us soon."

Link, Charlie and Navi got ready to leave. They were given a warm farewell from all the zoras including Ralis and King Zora.

"Good bye, guys. Thank you for helping me to gather medicine for our guardian god. I will never forget your kindness.

"Bye, Link, Charlie and Navi. You are welcome to visit us anytime."

The three travelers made their way down the path leading out of the Zora River. It was a difficult path. Charlie nearly fell in the water a couple times. After a lot of careful stepping, they finally made their way off the river path and towards Hyrule castle. Link wanted to be quick. He didn't want the visions that Zelda had shown him to come true.

They made their way over near the drawbridge towards Castle Town. As soon as they entered Castle Town, Link spotted Captain Viscen. This was a perfect time to warn him of the attack on the castle town and more importantly, Hyrule Castle. He walked over to him and waved at him so he would see him.

"Hey, Captain Viscen! How's it going, sir?"

Viscen turned to Link and smiled. He gave Link a salute.

"Hi there, lad. How was your quest with Ralis? Did you find medicine for his guardian god?"

"Yeah. I saved that giant fish's life. I even saved Princess Ruto and got the Zora's Sapphire."

Viscen smiled. This boy would make a good soldier if he was older.

"Well done, lad! I have something for you. Hold out your hand."

Link held out his hand. Viscen put a blue ocarina and a red orb in his hand. Link looked up at Visen with a confused look on his face. Viscen grinned.

"Our princess trusts you to use that ocarina wisely. As for the red orb, there is a spell called Din's Fire contained within. All knights get to learn the spell by right. I learned it many years ago, but I only use it if I get disarmed or I'm cornered. It takes a lot of concentration to master. That ocarina is the legendary Ocarina of Time. Apparently, you can control the flow of time with it. Hence the name. Heh heh. As for the red orb, simply put your hands on it. After a couple of minutes, the spell will be inside you and you will be able to use it like a master with some training. Go ahead! Touch the orb and watch."

Link put away the Ocarina of Time and touched the orb. It started to glow brightly and then as time went by, the orb got more dull until it was grey. Link felt strange. Did he just learn a spell? Suddenly, Link's left hand started to feel like it was on fire. He held it up in the air and a small fireball shot out! Visen's soldiers clapped for Link. Viscen smiled.

"Not too bad, lad. You had no idea what you were doing but you still shot out a fireball. Maybe you were destined to learn that spell. Watch this!"

Viscen held up his hand and closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Suddenly, an orange ball of fire started to form in the center of his hand. After a few minutes, it got even bigger! Viscen shouted at his guards. He needed a target.

"I need a target, troops! Give me a target!"

The soldiers quickly looked around. One of them found an old rotten barrel. The guards set it up in front of Viscen. He concentrated and pointed his hand at the barrel. The fireball shot out and struck the barrel. The barrel smashed into tiny pieces. Nothing from the barrel was left intact. Viscen turned to the astonished Link, Charlie and Navi.

"Ganondorf and Vaati Aren't the only ones who knows how to use magic. I wish it didn't take me so long to concentrate. If you practice, you will be able to form a fireball like that one. Troops! Is there something else to use as a target?"

One of the guards scratched his head.

"Well there is a training dummy outside the barracks. I can get that for you, sir!"

"Perfect. Go to it, soldier! Bring it here."

The guard ran to the barracks and brought back the training dummy. It reminded link of the scarecrows Brad used in the Kokiri Forest for practice. It looked rickety, but it would do the job. Viscen grinned at Link.

"Now, Link. I want you to concentrate and try to hit that dummy with a fireball. Picture in your mind a fireball forming in the center of your hand and then make that happen for real. Give it a try."

Link closed his eyes to focus. He held out hand and imagined a fireball forming in the center of it. He heard loud gasps. He opened his eyes and there was a medium sized fireball formed in the center of his hand. He pulled his hand back and thrust his hand forth. The fireball shot out and hit the dummy in the chest. It exploded into tiny pieces. Charlie and Navi cheered for Link. Visen and his guards joined in the cheering. Viscen gave him a pat on the back.

"Well done, lad. Keep practicing and you'll be just as good as me in no time at all."

Link shook his hand.

"Thanks, Viscen. We are glad we ran into you. I actually got something to tell you. There is going to be an attack here soon and Hyrule Castle as well. Princess Zelda shared her visions with me by a telepathic link. There was a lot of bloodshed. I saw people getting run down in the streets. Ganondorf is going to betray the king. We have to evacuate the people to Kakariko Village."

Viscen scratched his head.

"I don't doubt you, lad. Why would you lie after all you've done to help us? I'm not sure the people will listen to us, but we will try. Thanks, Link. Do you know when the attack will happen?"

Link shook his head.

"I don't know exactly when, but I do know that Ganondorf and Vaati appear with a hoard of undead shortly after Impa and Zelda gallop through on a white horse and order you and your soldiers to evacuate the people to Kakariko Village."

Viscen nodded.

"I now think I know why Zelda gave me that ocarina to give to you. I will tell you later. I've got to evacuate the townsfolk now. Let's go, troops!"

Shortly after Viscen and his troops left, Vaati appeared in front of the three travelers. He grinned at Link.

"Very clever, Link. Warning the guards of an attack. I don't know how you could've found out about our plans and I don't care. All that matters now is that I'm going to kill you!"

Vaati floated in front of Link and started to focus. He shot out a purple ball of energy. Link, Navi and Charlie dodged the blast. Link hid in a corner and started to concentrate. He imagined a ball of fire forming in his hand and then he made it real. Once again, a bright orange fireball formed in his hand. Vaati was looking the other direction at Charlie Link shot the fireball at Vaati. Vaati turned around at the last second. _Smack!_ The fireball hit Vaati right in the face. He roared in pain. He dropped to the ground and held his face in agony. When he removed his hands, Link and Charlie noticed the horrific burns all over his face. Navi was in shock. Those burns were very severe. Link grinned.

"I finally got my revenge, you son of a bitch!"

Vaati glared at Link. His face was lancing in pain.

"This isn't over! You are going to pay for that with your blood! We will continue this fight another day, but things are going to happen differently next time!"

He suddenly disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Navi flew over to Link.

"Link! Are you insane? That's still Max you know! You just mutilated your friend!"

Link glared at Navi.

"I'm sorry Navi, but friends don't try and kill you and almost succeed. That bastard got what he deserved as far as I'm concerned."

Charlie put a hand on Link's shoulder.

"That must've been tough, man. You did the right thing. Maybe he will reconsider trying to mess with you again."

Link frowned.

"Oh don't worry. We'll see him again. Remember what he said. I'm going to pay for that with my blood. He's far from finished. Besides, Ganondorf will probably use magic to heal his face anyways.

Suddenly, they heard a lot of shouting. They looked towards Castle Town and Viscen was leading a lot of people out of the town. He stepped aside and let the people pass.

"Retreat! Go to Kakariko where it's safe!"

He turned towards Link and his friends.

"Okay, lad. Now I'm going to tell you why you got that Ocarina of Time. You are supposed to go the Temple of Time and play the Song of Time in front of the altar. Zelda told me that Ganondorf is after the Triforce. You are supposed to go there to protect it."

Just as those words left Viscen's mouth, Impa and Zelda galloped out of the castle Town. She stopped in front of Viscen.

"There is an emergency, Captain! We need you to quickly evacuate the people to Kakariko."

Viscen saluted Impa.

"Already done, Ma'am!"

Impa was confused.

"But how did you know beforehand? Unless..."

She turned and looked at Link. She smiled.

"Well, I guess that telepathic link was a success. You warned the guards ahead of time didn't you?"

Link nodded.

"Good work, young man! Now, you need to get to the Temple of Time! Hurry!"

Link nodded once more as he, Charlie and Navi made their way into Castle Town towards the temple of Time. They saw Ganondorf coming and they hid behind a nearby house. He galloped past on his horse and they continued walking towards the Temple of Time.

Impa, Zelda and Viscen were long gone when Ganondorf arrived. He cursed in anger.

"Dammit! I'm too late! I will find you, Zelda! No matter how long it takes!"

He galloped out of the Castle town on his horse towards Hyrule Field.

Link, Charlie and Navi were in the Temple of Time. They looked around the big building. There was a huge door in the back with a triforce symbol above it. The floors were made out of marble and the walls were made from hard limestone. They saw the altar and ran up to it. They noticed that there were hollows for the Spiritual Stones. Link placed them inside the hollows one by one. Afterwards, He played the Song of Time. It echoed around the Temple of Time. Suddenly, the triforce symbol above the door began to glow. Afterwards, the big door began to open in front of them. They walked in the room and there was a weird looking pedestal with a nice looking sword stuck in it. Navi flew over to it.

"This blade... This is the legendary Master Sword! The Great Deku Tree told me stories about this magnificent blade. Try to pull it out, Link!"

Link walked over to the sword and pulled on the hilt as hard as he could. He pulled it out and held it in his hands. Charlie started to cheer for Link when suddenly, a blue vortex appeared in the room. It began to pull Link, Charlie and Navi inside. Charlie tried to grab onto something, but he didn't see anything to grab. Navi was so light, she pulled in instantly. Link struggled but he couldn't avoid the vortex. He was still holding the Mater Sword. He got pulled in still holding The Blade of Evil's Bane. They were going around in circles in the vortex. Suddenly, link's vision began to blur. As did Charlie's and Navi's. All three of them blacked out as the vortex swallowed them.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Link awoke in a daze. He remembered being sucked into the vortex, but he couldn't remember anything else. The first thing he noticed was that he couldn't move at all. He looked straight ahead and he realized he was being confined in a see through capsule of some sort. He looked around and he noticed two other capsules. He assumed Charlie and Navi were in the other two. He banged his hands on the capsule.. He didn't want to be in this prison any longer! As he was banging the capsule, he looked at his hands. He was wearing leather gauntlets and his hands were a lot larger. He looked down at himself and he noticed he was taller as well. What happened to him? He looked a lot older. Before he could make another observation about his new body, a bright yellow glow emanated in front of him. When the glow subsided, an old man was standing in front of Link. He waved his hand and the capsule Link was in broke open and Link fell out onto solid ground. He groaned and got up. He took a quick look around. He was standing on a large glowing blue platform. There were strange pads with symbols on them as well. He turned and looked at the old man in confusion.

"Who are you? Where am I and what happened to my body?"

The old man smiled.

"Greetings, Link. My name is Rauru. You are inside the Chamber of Light within the Sacred Realm. As soon as you pulled out the Master Sword from the pedestal, you took on the role as the Hero of Time. However, you were too young to fulfill your role. So I sealed you and your friends here for seven years. Now that you are old enough, I want you to take on the role as the Hero of Time."

Link was still a little confused.

"So let me get this straight. I pulled the sword out of the pedestal and me and my friends got pulled into that vortex just so you could freeze us for seven years?"

Rauru frowned.

"You could hardly lift the sword, let alone swing it. I figured you would be a lot stronger after seven or eight years "

Link nodded. That made a little sense. That sword was very heavy.

"But how do you know my name? We have never met."

Rauru simply smiled.

"Oh we have met, my boy. I seem to remember you calling me a chatterbox once."

Link thought for a minute and then gasped. It couldn't be! Was it possible that he was that annoying owl?

"You're telling me that you were that owl?"

Rauru nodded.

"Indeed. I was the very same owl that gave you and Charlie a lift back to Kakariko. I was Kaepora Gaebora. I used magic to morph into an owl. I tried to guide you a little even though you didn't like me back then."

Link grinned.

"Heh yeah. Can you free Navi and Charlie please?"

Rauru nodded and waved his hands and the other two capsules broke open. Navi fell to the ground. She looked the same after seven years. Charlie looked completely different. He was very tall and he had very long red hair and a beard. He was at least three feet taller than Link. He had kokiri clothing on still, but was fitted to his size. Link walked over to him.

"Charlie? Wake up, Pal. You're not going to believe what happened! You too, Navi."

Charlie groaned and opened his eyes. He gasped when he saw Link.

"What the? Is that you, Link? What happened to you?"

Charlie looked down at himself.

"And what happened to me? I grew up big time!"

He stood up and Link's head was level with his shoulders.

"It is seven years later, Charlie. That's why we look different."

Navi woke up. She gasped when she heard about how much time had passed.

"Link! Charlie! I hardly recognized you two. Has it really been seven years?"

Link nodded.

"Yes, Navi. That's right."

He turned to Charlie and pointed at Rauru.

"This man is Rauru. Guess who else he was? That owl we kept running into!"

"That's neat, Link. I never would've guessed."

Rauru frowned.

"Now that all that is straitened out, I have some bad news. While you were frozen, Ganondorf and his son Vaati followed you and managed to enter this Sacred Realm. They found the Triforcre and with it, they created a world of monsters. I need you to enter the five temples around Hyrule and awaken the sages within. Their power will surely help you in your struggle to defeat Ganondorf, king of evil. Oh and by the way, I know of your dilemma concerning your reality. Do you wish to continue living here?"

Link thought about it, but he wasn't sure anymore. His friend Max was now an evil villain, but his other friend Charlie didn't seem to mind it here. Link shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no idea. I haven't given it much thought to be honest. I like it here and I think Charlie still does as well."

Charlie nodded.

"I'm with you, pal. I've liked this place since day one."

Link smiled.

"Well said, man. Rauru, if we end up getting my former friend Max back to normal someday, I'll give you an answer then. But for now, I think we want to stay and continue our adventure."

Rauru nodded wisely.

"So be it. When your quest is complete, I will ask you again. I have the power to return you to your reality. Now, I am one of the six sages you will find in the temples. Each sage will awaken with the knowledge that they are a sage after you find them. You will be given a medallion just like this one."

Rauru held out his hand and passed Link a gold medallion. It had a picture of the triforce on one side and a strange symbol on the other side. Rauru smiled at Link and his friends.

"Take care of yourselves. I am going to send you back to the Temple of Time. Find the other sages so we can help you defeat Ganondorf."

Rauru waved his hands. Bright white light emanated from them. Link, Charlie and Navi covered their eyes. When they opened them, they were back in the Temple of Time. Charlie shook his head in amazement.

"Wow. I can't believe we were in there for seven years. I can't believe how tall I am now. I even got a beard! Let's see the master sword up close, Link."

Link found it in a scabbard strapped to his back. He held it out. The beautiful blade sparkled in the light of Navi's glow. It had a blue cross hilt with a black jet stone set into the hilt itself. All in all, it looked like a very impressive blade. Suddenly, Link's eyes caught movement ahead of them. They walked cautiously ahead and a figure stepped out of the darkness. It appeared to be a heavily cloaked man. He was wearing purple pants and had a white scarf wrapped around his head and when he spoke, his voice sounded muffled.

"I have been waiting for you, Hero of Time. I am Shiek, survivor of the Shiekah clan. You look impressive holding the Blade of Evil's Bane. The Master Sword is a sacred blade that has been untouched by evil for centuries. You have been tasked to find the sages throughout Hyrule and awaken them. I am going to point you in the right direction for the first sage you should encounter. She is in the Forest Temple in Kokiri Forest. Because of the evil forces at work, she cannot hear the call of awakening. You are going to help cleanse the evil so that she may awaken as a sage. The sage is a young girl that I think you will know. But before you go there, head to Kakariko Village. There is a useful tool you must obtain in the cemetery. I must also caution you about the evil one Vaati. He has been searching for you for the past seven years to seek vengeance on you. Be very careful, Link. Now, I must go. Good luck, Link."

Shiek started to back away. He threw an object on the floor. It created a lot of smoke. Link, Charlie and Navi started to cough. When the smoke cleared, Shiek was gone. Charlie scratched his head.

"What a weird guy, Link. Do you think we should listen to him and go to Kakariko Village graveyard?"

Link nodded.

"Yeah I think so. I'm not sure, but I think I trust him. Let's go, guys."

The three friends walked out of the temple. As soon as they did, they heard evil laughing. Link turned around and a big muscular guy wearing black armor was standing there. He had blonde hair and his eyes were jet black in color. He had a jagged scar that ran across his forehead down to his lips. He grinned at Link.

"Well well, Link. Long time no see. Remember me?"

Link looked at the scar and recognized him immediately. Charlie gasped.

"Max! It's you! You found us!"

He sneered.

"The name's Vaati you idiot! I'm finally going to kill the three of you at last."

Vaati held out his hand. Link and Charlie went flying backwards into a wall of the Temple of Time. Afterwards, they were restrained by two black rings of dark energy. He smiled and turned to Navi.

"I think I'm going to kill you first you annoying Fairy!"

He walked over to Navi. She was hovering in mid air. She was too frightened to escape. She began to shake with fright. When he got closer, Navi screamed and suddenly flashed bright green in color. Vaati gasped and stumbles backwards and fell to the ground. Charlie and Link cheered Navi on.

"Yay! That showed him! How did you do that anyway?", asked Charlie.

"Who cares how she did it! When he gets up, do that again!", shouted Link.

Vaati groaned. The flashed knocked him unconscienous for a brief minute. When he stood up, he looked almost confused. He looked at himself and then he looked over at Charlie and Link.. Link took a closer look and he noticed that his eyes were no longer black. He began to speak.

"Uh where am I? Link? Is that you? And Charlie? You look so different. Why am I dressed like this?"

Link quickly began to realize who was talking.

"Max! You're back! You're right. It's me and Charlie. That green flash Navi did must have knocked out the evil inside of you."

Max smiled.

"It's so good to see you guys again. The last thing I remember was running from Saska and Jaska. One of them hit me with a spell and knocked me down. After that, I don't remember anything. What have I done to you guys?"

Link groaned.

"Try waving your hands. See if you can get us free."

Max waved his hands and the black rings of dark energy restraining Charlie and Link disappeared. They both ran over to him. Navi flew over to see him too.

"Max! It's been so long. We got a lot of catching up to do."

Max groaned and his eyes flashed black. He gasped.

"There's one problem. I don't think this is permanent I think it's only temporary. Be ready to use that move on me again, Navi."

Max dropped to the ground. He yelled in pain. His eyes were almost black. Suddenly, they began to fade away again back to normal color.

"That took all my strength to resist the evil inside of me. You guys have to find a way to get me back to normal for good. I don't want to be evil anymore. Now tell me quickly, what have I done to you guys?"

Link spoke up.

"You almost killed me, man. Seven years ago, you shot a fireball at me and almost killed me. But I got revenge and shot a fireball in your face."

Max was shocked.

"I'm so sorry, Link. I can't control my actions. In my mind, I an see all the evil things I'm doing, but I'm unable to stop them. I don't blame you for fighting back. I can't believe I call that monster Ganondorf father! I'm going to try to make a mental note and hope my evil side tries it. I want to encounter you in one of the places you go. Battle me and get Navi to use that move again. You may be able to get me back to normal long enough to get me treated by someone. Now please, leave me. It was good to see you all again, but I'm afraid my evil side is going to take over soon. I will teleport you to Kakariko. Good bye and good luck."

Max waved his hands and suddenly, all three disappeared. He smiled. He was glad to see them again. Even if it was only for a short time. Suddenly, he groaned again and dropped to the ground and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were pure black. His evil side was once again in control. He got up and looked around. He cursed in anger.

"Dammit! They must have escaped while I was out. I don't care how far you run, Link. Your days are numbered."

He disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

Link, Charlie and Navi appeared in Kakariko. On of the villagers saw them just appear and he shouted out.

"These guys came out of nowhere! They are evil villains sent here to kill us all!"

Another villager laughed at him.

"Yeah right, Hank. You tell the dumbest lies."

Link sighed with relief.

"Boy that was close. We got to find a way to keep Max normal permanently. I want my friend back. What do you guys think?"

Charlie nodded.

"Sounds fine to me. I miss him too and it was good to see him again. Navi, what was that move you used?"

Navi shrugged.

"I'm not too sure. The deku tree told me about a unique ability I possess when I'm in danger, but I don't remember what he called it. I thought it was only a rumor until I used it today."

Link smiled.

"Well whatever it was, you need to perfect it. If you can make that ability stronger, we will have Max back to normal sooner than we realize."


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

It was near dark when Max teleported Link and Charlie to Kakariko. They took advantage of the remaining daylight and looked around the village. There were some new buildings around town. There was a shooting gallery built near the village well. There was also a general store built near the entrance to Death Mountain and a few more houses. The houses were built beside the shooting gallery. Link figured they must have been built to house the people that evacuated Castle Town. Link and Charlie saw a lot of familiar faces around the village. Charlie even saw the man that was running the lottery seven years ago. He had carpenter's clothes on. They kept walking and looking at the changes made to the town when suddenly, Link spotted movement. A figure walked out from the shadows of a nearby building. Link gasped. He recognized the figure immediately. It was Impa, Princess Zelda's caretaker! She motioned him and Charlie to follow. She led them into a nearby building. She smiled at Link.

"Long time no see, Link. It's been awhile. I heard from Shiek that you are the legendary Hero of Time. A pity that you led Ganondorf to the triforce. His evil power has been spreading quickly through this land over the past seven years. Him and his son Vaati have been causing all sorts of trouble through Hyrule. The bastard froze Zora's Domain completely. Only Captain Ralis and Princess Ruto were able to escape. Ruto went to the Water Temple in Lake Hylia to pray to the gods. I will tell you about Ralis in a moment."

She turned to Charlie and Navi.

"It's good to see you two alive and well too."

She led the three to a round table. There were many chairs around it. Impa smiled at them.

"Please take a seat. I will be back in a moment."

They sat down and watched Impa walk up a flight of stairs to a room above. They heard a lot of talking and then they heard the parting of chairs and Impa came back down the stairs with a soldier, a zora, a goron and Shiek. They all looked at Link and Charlie and gasped for a minute before sitting around the table. Impa smiled at Link.

"So Link, do you recognize anyone?"

Link smiled.

"I recognize shiek, but the other three I don't think I do."

The soldier grunted.

"I think you should know me even after seven years, lad."

Link gasped.

"Is that you, Captain Viscen?"

Viscen nodded.

"Aye, lad. It's good to see you again. The zora and the goron claim to know you guys as well."

Charlie jumped from his seat.

"I know who the zora is! It's Captain Ralis!"

Ralis nodded.

"Very well done, human. It's nice to see all of you after so long."

Navi was beginning to figure out who the big goron was. She flew over to Link and whispered into his ear.

"Psst! Link, I may be wrong, but I think the goron is none other than Argus."

Link smiled at the goron.

"It's good to see you again, Argus. How have you been? You've really grown."

Argus got up and gave Link a pat on his shoulder. It knocked Link onto the ground flat on his face.

"It's good to see you again too, brother! Things haven't been going so well. Our leader will tell you more. Let me help you up, brother! I don't know my own strength."

Argus grabbed Link by the hand and pulled him up.

Charlie was curious.

"Who is your leader and what is he a leader of?"

Argus smiled.

"The Hyrule Resistance of course. Our leader is Impa Do you want to join us in the fight against Ganondorf and Vaati?"

Link nodded.

"I would love to join. I'm sure Charlie and Navi would join as well."

Both Charlie and Navi agreed readily.

"Sure. Sign me up. I'd love to join."

"Sign me up too."

Shiek sat up from his chair.

"That's great, guys. Welcome to the resistance. I'm sure you make us proud."

Link got thinking, and he had a question he wanted to ask Shiek.

"Hey shiek? How did you know name back in the Temple of Time? I never told you my name."

Shiek looked too nervous to answer so Impa answered for him.

"I taught shiek telepathy. He probably knew your name before you even saw him. Now, enough about that. Now that you and your friends are our newest members, we need you to help us gather more recruits. We don't have a large enough force to take on Ganondorf and Vaati and their army of undead soldiers."

Link started to think of potential recruits. Suddenly, it hit him! The kokiri might be able to help!

"How about the kokiri? I know they are forest people, but they might be able to help. Hopefully my friend Brad is still in charge."

Impa nodded.

"Sounds like a reasonable suggestion. You were raised by them weren't you? I don't know anything about them, so I'm relying on your expertise on them. You should go and see them right away."

Argus raised his hand.

"My people would love to join. I will go talk to them tonight. After all, I am their chief!"

Link was shocked. Argus got promoted to Chief? What happened to Darunia?

"Argus, what about Darunia? Why isn't he chief anymore?"

Argus smiled.

"I think he got tired of all the responsibilities of being chief of a clan. He handed leadership of the clan over to me a few years ago and since then, everyone listens to me and obeys me without question. Darunia is second in command. He wanted a little authority still, so I gave him one rank below me. I joined the resistance shortly after Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle. I went out for a walk and I ran into Impa here in Kakariko and she informed me that she was creating a resistance against Ganondorf's evil forces. After he attacked our people and cut off our food supply, I gladly joined. Darunia told me later that night that it was a good decision and he was proud of me."

Ralis frowned.

"At least you have a clan. Ganondorf and Vaati attacked my people and froze my entire home. King Zora ordered me and Ruto to flee. We ran for my lives. Vaati followed us, but we managed give him the slip. After that, I ended up in Kakariko and joined the resistance immediately after running into Impa like Link, Charlie and Navi did. Ruto went to the Water Temple. She thinks that by praying to the gods, she can fix our home. What a foolish child."

Link turned to Viscen.

"How about you, Captain? Why did you join?"

"Well lad, shortly after we evacuated everyone here, this village was attacked by Ganondorf, Vaati and their army of undead soldiers. My soldiers ran ahead to fight them but sadly, they were all slain. Ganondorf just laughed and signaled his army to move in and attack. Shortly after, Impa cast a powerful spell. It was a protection spell and she cast it over the entire village. The undead soldiers started to die and it hurt Ganondorf as well. Vaati managed to escape before he got injured. He vowed that he would return one day and break the spell. He has already tried several times to break the spell, but he has failed each time. The spell only affects evil beings, so you and your friends entered unharmed. I want to pay Ganondorf back in full for killing my soldiers. Vaati must be dealt with as well."

Link nodded.

"Navi actually got my friend back to normal for a few minutes by using a defensive move. He told me that he couldn't control his evil actions and emotions. He asked me to find a way to get him back to normal. I have a feeling the next time I see him, Navi won't be able to snap him out of it anymore. I'm sure Ganondorf was aware of that and he probably made the evil energy inside of Max stronger and harder to break."

Impa shrugged.

"If Navi could learn more about that move, she may be able to get your friend back to normal for good no matter what kind of spells Ganondorf likely cast on him. The Great Fairy in Death Mountain Crater may be able to help. You should go and see her once you help the sage in the Forest Temple."

Link nodded.

"Sounds fine to me. We will go there at once."

Shiek held up his hand.

"Wait a minute, Link. I went to the graveyard and I retreived the tool you need to enter the temple. Hold out your hands."

Link held out his hands and Shiek placed an odd looking object into them. It was a weird object with a handle and a hook on the end. In between the hook and the handle, there was a long chain wrapped up. There was a trigger on the handle. Shiek explained to Link the significance of the device.

"This is called a hookshot, Link. Simply just take aim at something and squeeze the trigger and the hook will shoot out. Once it sticks into something, squeeze the trigger again and you will be reeled in. Let's go outside and give it a try."

Shiek, Link, Charlie, Navi and the rest of the resistance members walked outside to watch the demonstration. Link pointed the hookshot at a nearby tree and squeezed the trigger. The hook shot out at an alarming speed and stuck into the tree. Link then squeezed the trigger again and the device began to retract. In no time at all, Link found himself up in the tree. He smiled with grim satisfaction. This device would surly be useful. He grunted and pulled the hook out of the tree. He then jumped out of the tree and landed in front of everyone. He smiled at Shiek.

"Thanks so much, Shiek. We will be on our way now. I will see you guys when we return."

Impa waved as Charlie, Link and Navi left Kakariko and headed for the Forest Temple in Kokiri Forest.

"Good luck, guys. See you all when you are finished.", she said as she yelled her farewells to the three friends.

Ganondorf was walking around anxiously around in his castle. His castle now stood where Hyrule Castle used to be. After he invaded Hyrule Castle, He destroyed it and he built his own castle in place of it. He also destroyed the land around it to prevent any intruders from ever gaining access. His castle sat atop of a very large pillar surrounded with lava pits. He was waiting for the return of his son Vaati. He saw what had happened to him near the Temple of Time and he wanted to make sure the evil power inside of him hadn't weakened as a result. Suddenly, Vaati appeared in front of his father. Ganondorf ran over to him in anger.

"You fool! Don't you realize that you almost got cleansed of evil by that stupid fairy?"

Vaati looked at him in confusion. What was he babbling about? They knocked him out, but they never cleansed him of evil.

"What are you talking about? I never got cleansed of evil."

Ganondorf sneered.

"So, you don't remember that fairy screaming at you and flashing bright green? You must have suffered memory loss. I saw the whole thing. For a brief few minutes, you were the one they called Max. You talked to them for a few minutes as Max and then the evil took over again. I don't want that to happen again. Follow me. I'm going to chanal more evil power inside you and then I'm going to put some spells on you to make sure the evil power cannot be cleansed again. I don't want to lose you, my boy. You are a perfect son to me and you and me have caused a lot of mayhem over the past seven years"

Ganondorf ran ahead of Vaati. He had a hard time keeping up. Suddenly, Vaati grunted and bent down in pain. The black in Vaati's eyes briefly faded. Max was in control again. He concentrated and managed to send a small message to Link telepathically.

"I hope you receive my message, Link. Stay safe.", said Max as his eyes turned black once more. Vaati looked around. He then saw his father far ahead of him and ran to catch up to him.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Brad and his fairy partner Isabel or Izzy as she preferred to be called were taking a stroll around Kokiri Village. Brad really enjoyed being leader of the Kokiri clan. Over the past seven years, he trained everyone so they would be able to use a weapon effectively in case they were ever attacked. He also made the prison into a dormitory for travelers. He wanted people that come into the village to feel welcomed instead of hated. After seven years, him and his entire clan were still children. The Kokiri remained children no matter how much time passed. Suddenly, Brad saw a green glow coming from behind one of the houses. When he got closer to investigate, the grren glow faded away. He found a Black haired woman wearing kokiri clothing lying unconscious where the glowing originated. He blew on a whistle that was around his neck and three Kokiri came running. He pointed to the figure on the ground and addressed his people.

"Okay, guys. Give me a hand and let's take this woman to the dormitory."

The three Kokiri gave him a salute and lifted the woman and carried her to the dormitory with Brad in the lead. When they arrived, they carefully placed her on one of the beds. Shortly after, she woke up and raised her head and looked at the kokiri in confusion.

"Uh my head. Hi, kids. Can any of you tell me where I am?"

Brad stepped forward.

"You are in Kokiri forest, ma'am. My name is Brad and I am the leader of my clan the Kokiri. Who are you? Where did you come from?

The woman sat up on the bed.

"My name is Susan and I was trying to find my missing son. I saw a strange green glow and walked over to it's source. It was a portal of some sort. I guess I got too close because before I knew it, It pulled me in. Next thing I know, I wake up and you kids are standing over me. How do I get back to my forest?"

Brad scratched his head.

"Hmm. That's the same story Link's friends tried to tell Mido years ago. I heard it in passing. Everyone laughed at their story. Look, I don't even know where you came from. Are you from another land or something?"

Susan shrugged.

"I have no idea. I'm just as confused as you are. Have you kids ever come across my son? He's been missing for a week now."

Brad smiled. Maybe once she found her son, he might be able to figure things out.

"What is your son's name?"

"His name is Tom. His friends Charlie and Max are missing too. Have you seen them?"

The names hit Brad like a thunderbolt. Charlie and Max were Link's friends! He also remembered hearing Charlie call Link Tom before as well. He tried to answer her questions the best he could.

"I know Charlie. I met him years ago. I also heard of Max too but I also heard from a forest fairy that he was corrupted by evil. I believe my pal Link was referred to as Tom before, but I haven't seen any of them in seven years."

Susan was even more confused.

"Seven years? How is that possible? Look, kid. That can't be right. If you are talking about Tom, Charlie and Max, they have only been missing for seven days!"

Brad nodded slowly.

"I see. Then there must be a big time difference. Seven days to you has been seven years for us. I suggest you stay here in our village. We will try to figure this all out for you. I hope Link or Charlie shows up soon."

Susan brightened up when she heard those names.

"Yes it sure would be nice to see them. Thank you for letting me stay here, Brad."

Brad smiled at Susan.

"No problem at all. Make yourself at home."

He turned to the crowd of curious Kokiri behind him.

"Listen up, everyone! Treat Susan with respect okay? If I hear of anyone acting rude or violent towards her, you will be answering to me. Do I make myself clear?"

All the kokiri saluted and then went about their business. Brad smiled. He was so happy that everyone respected him and listened to him. He walked out of the dormitory leaving a still confused Susan in his wake.

Link and Charlie were making their way towards Kokiri Forest. It was still dark and they didn't want to waste any time. Suddenly, Link grunted and went to his knees. Charlie ran over to him, his face full of concern.

"Link! What's wrong?"

He grunted out a reply.

"We need to stop, pal. I just got a splitting headache all of a sudden. I need to rest for a minute."

Charlie was impatient. They were almost at Kokiri forest. He tried to convince him to wait.

"Let's rest when we get to Kokiri Forest, Link. We are almost there and we can get you looked at-"

Link interrupted him in mid sentence.

"For fuck sakes, Charlie! Will you please listen to me?! We need to stop!"

Link groaned and held his head. Suddenly, he fell backward onto his back and was unconscious.

When he opened his eyes again, he was floating around in a grey void. This happened long ago when Princess Zelda used a telepathic link. He saw a figure approach him. He expected it to be Zelda again, but it was Max instead. He smiled at Link. His eyes glowed and shortly after, Link was standing on solid ground. He created a vision of Hyrule Castle Town with his mind.

"_Hello, Link good to see you again. I used Vaati's evil power to create a telepathic Link. He is unconscious as well. Ganondorf is chanelling more evil power inside of my body. He knows about what Navi did to me and he is trying to make it harder for her to break through the evil. I've brought you here to warn you. Next time we meet, I might be impossible to reason with and I may try to kill you again. I want you to listen well. If you have no other choice, I want you to kill me. If I try and kill you, try not to resist fighting back. I may never be able to return to normal"_

Link was shocked. He didn't want to kill his friend. He started to weep gently.

"_I don't know if I can do it, Max. You're a close friend. I don't want to kill you."_

Max frowned.

"_So, you would rather be killed by me instead? Defend yourself, man! Shoot another fireball at me. Only this time, make it a very powerful one and finish me off so I can't hurt anybody else. If there is no other alternative, please take me out."_

Link started to cry even more.

"_No! I won't do it! I shot a fireball at you in self defense. I didn't even think it was gonna hit. Listen, me and Charlie are going to find a way to get you back to normal so more talk of me killing you."_

Max was getting frustrated.

"_Link! Will you stop fucking crying and listen to me?! I'm getting tired of hurting people and I want to stop. If I am going to kill you, kill me first. Being able to see all the evil stuff you are doing and not being able to do anything to stop it is no picnic. I have tried many times, but Vaati always blocks me out. You're a good friend, Link. I know this isn't easy to hear from me. My body is almost awake. I will see you later as Vaati. Remember, kill me before I kill you."_

Max disappeared and the grey void around Link started to darken. Link blacked out. When he opened his eyes again, Charlie was staring into his face. He sighed with relief.

"Thank god you're alright. What happened? Your body was moving and you were groaning a lot."

He looked sadly in Charlie's eyes.

"I saw Max. He told me to kill him if there is no other choice. I don't know if I can do it. I know Vaati is bad news, but he is also Max corrupted by evil. I guess we will deal with that later. Listen, I'm sorry I snapped at you. The headache was just so severe."

Charlie smiled.

"No need to worry. But I don't know if I could kill Vaati either That's still Max. We will find a way to get him back to normal, pal. Don't worry about it. Now, let's get moving to Kokiri Forest."

Link and Chalrie walked into the forest and got lost in the many trees and bushes in the forest. Before long, they spotted a figure walking around. They confronted the figure and both Link and Charlie gasped aloud. It was Brad! Link smiled at him.

"Brad! It's good to see you, man! How are things going as leader?"

Brad looked up at the man dressed in Kokiri clothing.

"Who are you and how do you know me?"

Link forgot Brad didn't notice him or Charlie with their grown up bodies.

"Brad. Look closely. It's Link and Charlie."

Brad looked closer and he realized he was looking at his old friends. He hugged them tightly.

"Link! Charlie! It's been too long. I guess neither of you were actually true Kokiri. True kokiri remain children forever. In fact, I celebrated my thirtieth birthday a couple weeks ago."

Both Link and Charlie gasped in disbelief. Link was dumbfounded.

"Wait. So you were twenty three when we were only ten?"

Brad nodded.

"We are young forever. We never age. I guess there really isn't any point in keeping track of how old we are. Saria is now thirty five. Mido was forty five seven years ago when he forced me to kill him. So, you two are now seventeen? That's cool. I like your beard, Charlie. Now, I have to introduce you two to someone. She claims that she has been looking for you two and your friend Max for seven days."

Brad lead them to the dormitory. Link was curious as to who Brad was talking about. They walked into the dormitory. Susan was sitting on a bed. When she heard footsteps, she turned around. Link and Charlie gasped in shock. Charlie turned to Link.

"Hey, link? Isn't that your mom?"

Link walked over to her. She looked up at Link.

"Hello there. Do I know you?"

Link nodded.

"You sure do. Believe it or not, I'm your son Tom."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Susan couldn't believe what she was hearing. The oddly dressed teenager in front of her claimed to be her son. But that was impossible since he was only missing for seven days. She started to laugh.

"Yeah right, kid. You aren't my son. You look nothing like him and besides, he has only been missing for seven days and he's ten years old. How old are you?"

Link paused for a minute..

"I'm seventeen now. Charlie is the same age too. You might recognize him."

Charlie stepped forward. Susan looked closely at Charlie. He had red hair like Tom's friend and he looked a lot like him only older. She shook her head and dismissed the idea.

"That's impossible. This is some sort of prank and I'm not impressed. If you really are Tom and Charlie, Where is Max and how did you get here?"

Link sighed. He didn't like being reminded about Max. He tried his best to answer her questions.

"Max is here as well. He has gotten corrupted by evil and he's sided against us. He almost killed me seven years ago. I don't know what is going on, but there is a huge time difference like Brad said. I guess in the reality we came from, time moves slower. It may have been seven days there, but it has been seven years here."

Susan crossed her arms.

"Whatever you say, kid. I still don't believe that you are my son. Tell me then, how did you end up here?"

Link shrugged.

"Probably the same way you did. I noticed a strange green glow and I went to see what it was. When I got closer, I noticed that it was a portal of some sort. I tried to move away from it, but it ended up pulling me in. When I woke up, I looked like this only younger. The same thing happened to Charlie and Max, but their appearance didn't change. Only their clothes did."

Charlie put his and on her shoulder.

"Please listen to us. We are telling you the truth. You sent me and Max to find Tom and we both ended up here the same way he described. Why would we all lie to you?"

Susan looked at Charlie and then looked at Link. She put her hand on her head.

"I think I've got a headache now. I don't know what to believe anymore. I ended up arriving here and I had the same experience with the green portal."

Navi flew around the room slowly. She was listening carefully to the stories Charlie and Link were both telling Susan. She remembered the day Link tried to explain it to her. She ignored him and said it was a ridiculous story. Was it actually true? She flew down into Link's face.

"You tried to tell me that story before, but I didn't listen. Now I'm starting to believe you. Do you have any interest in going back to your own reality?"

Link sighed and looked at Charlie and then looked at his mom. He really liked it here. He had no plans made to return to his own reality and he believed Charlie wanted to stay too, but he would have to see what Max wanted to do if he ever got back to normal. He shrugged.

"I'm still not sure, Navi. I still like this world. I will have to think about that more at a later time."

He put a hand on Susan's shoulder.

"Mom, it's me, Tom. I played Zelda Ocarina of Time a lot and the last day we saw each other, you told me to take a walk outside to get away from that game. Me, Charlie and Max went for a walk. After we walked for a bit, I said my goodbyes to them and I found the green portal and I already told you what happened after that. I didn't think I would ever see you again , mom. I missed you a lot."

Tears started to form in Susan's eyes. She stood up and hugged Link tightly.

"Oh, Tom. I'm sorry I didn't believe it was you. I missed you so much. That night you disappeared, I was worried sick and the next day, I sent Charlie and Max out to look for you and they vanished too. Now Tom, Where exactly are we?"

Brad spoke up.

"This is Kokiri Forest, Ma'am."

Link walked over to Brad.

"Let me handle this, buddy. You go and look after the Kokiri."

Brad gave Link a wave.

"Okay, man. I will talk to you guys later. Let's go, Izzy!"

Brad walked out of the infirmary with his fairy following closely behind. Charlie follwed him so Link would have more privacy. He waved at Link.

"I'll talk to you later. I will be just outside if you need me."

Link nodded and turned to his mom.

"Mom, where you now are is the game I loved to play. This is The world of Zelda Ocarina of Time. We have either traveled to another dimension or another reality. I'm not too sure, but I think it is another reality."

She sighed in awe.

"Wow that's incredible. For such a thing to happen to me is just mind boggling. I heard you say you want to stay here?"

He shrugged.

"I was considering it. This is an incredible world and it's not a video game this time. This is really happening. How do you feel about that? This world is primitive compared to ours, but it's a lot of fun. It's almost like living in medevil times. I've already met a lot of interesting people and I'm even on a quest to save the world!"

She raised her eyebrows.

"Really? Are you sure you are up to that? That is a huge job and I don't want you to get hurt."

Link nodded.

"I appreciate your concern mom, but I will be okay. As long as I have Charlie and Navi by my side, I should be fine."

Susan sighed.

"Well, I hope you're right. Now, who is this Navi you're talking about?"

Link stepped to one side and Navi flew in front of Susan. She waved shyly.

"Hello, Susan. I'm Navi the fairy."

She smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Navi. Wow! There are even fairies in this world. This is still hard to believe, but I think I can get used to it here. I won't delay you any longer, son. Continue on your quest. I will stay here in this village for now. Just be sure to visit me every now and then okay?"

Link nodded.

"Okay. Thanks for understanding, mom. I am going to have a talk with Brad and see if you can't stay in my home for now."

Susan stood up quickly after the words left his mouth.

"You have a house? That's great news! I will stay there then. I will wait for your friend Brad to come and talk to me about it."

He smiled. He was overjoyed to have his mother here in this world. He missed her greatly. He waved at her.

"I'll see you soon, mom."

He walked outside to find Charlie. He was standing to the right of the infirmary. He walked up behind Link and tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around quickly.

"Gee, man. Don't do that! You scared the hell out of me. Now, let's talk to Brad about that Forest Temple."

Charlie nodded and they proceeded to walk towards Brad's house when suddenly, a huge plant appeared in front of them. It had a round purple head and a huge gaping mouth with razor sharp teeth. It lunged at Link and Charlie. They narrowly dodged it by jumping out of it's reach. Link turned to Charlie.

"Stand back! I'm going to launch a fireball at that thing and hopefully kill it."

Link closed his eyes and concentrated. His right hand began to glow orange. Within seconds, he was holding a fireball the size of a small goron. He gasped in disbelief. He didn't mean to create such a large fireball. He shrugged and waited for Charlie to move. After he was out of the way, he launched the fireball towards the plant. The fireball hit it's big head and it blew up into many tiny chunks as a result. Charlie gasped with awe.

"Man, I've got to see if Viscen can enable me to shoot fireballs as well. That would be so useful."

Link nodded.

"Yeah I can see if he has another orb. But for now, let's get to Brad's house. We have to warn him about these plants!"

They kept moving and they were almost at Brad's house when another plant popped out of the ground and tried to eat them. Charlie stood back and Link concentrated and shot a smaller fireball than the first one earlier. It severed the plant's head from it's body. Link smiled and he and Charlie ran into Brad's house. Link was gasping and he looked very tired. Brad noticed them enter and he ran over as soon as he saw Link stumble in.

"What's going on, guys? Why is Link exhausted?"

Link looked up into Brad's eyes.

"Listen man, we are under attack. There are giant plants all over the village. The reason I'm so tired is because I had to shoot fireballs at them to kill them. I couldn't get close enough with my sword."

Brad's eyes went wide with fear. His people were under attack from giant plants? What could have caused that to happen?

"What did these plants look like, Link?"

Link gasped out a reply.

"Well, they had big purple heads with big mouths and rows of razor sharp teeth."

Brad thought it over for a minute and then he came to a conclusion.

"I know what those things are. They are called Deku Babas and they used to gather around the Great Deku tree, but I haven't seen one in quite some time. The smaller ones were dangerous enough. Bigger ones are going to be a huge problem. They probably have the ability to kill people. I'm going to get my things. We have to go out there and make sure they don't hurt anyone! It's my responsibility as leader of the Kokiri."

Charlie patted him on the back.

"That's the spirit, pal. Let's go and Kill those things before they take casualties!"


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Brad walked out of his house followed by Charlie, Link, Navi and Izzy. They walked around the village, but they didn't see many plants or Kokiri outside. Suddenly, they heard a girl's scream. They found the source of the scream on top of a nearby house. It was Fado! One of the huge plants had her trapped on top of the house. As soon as she saw Brad, she called to him for help.

"Hey boss! Please help me! I don't want to be eaten by that thing!"

Brad quickly reached behind him and brought forth a large beautiful scimitar! Before anyone could stop him, he dashed towards the plant with amazing speed. The plant saw him and lost interest in Fado. It turned it's ugly head towards Brad and opened it's huge mouth wide open. As he got closer, the plant lunged at Brad. He easily dodged it by rolling out of the way. He quickly ran over to the house that Fado was on top of and proceeded to climb it. The plant lunged at Brad again. He took his scimitar and stabbed it in it's mouth. It roared in pain, but it only seemed to make it angrier. It started to get closer to Brad once again. After finally reaching the roof of the house, he waited for the plant to get closer. He had a plan to finish it off. He held his scimitar by his side and waited for the gargantuan plant to get a little closer. Brad nodded. It was close enough for a perfect hit. With a roar, He leaped off the roof of the house with his scimitar in both hands pointed down. He got right above the plant's head and brought his blade down with tremendous force. It cleaved the plant's head in two. He was covered in green slime. He could hear a lot of cheering around him.

"Thanks for saving me, boss! That was incredible!", yelled Fado.

"That plant didn't stand a chance! Well done!", said Charlie.

Link walked over and bowed in front of Brad.

"I'm honored to be your friend. You're a very skilled swordsman now. I now know that I learned from the very best when you taught me sword skills seven years ago."

Navi was curious about the scimitar that Brad carried.

"Where did you get that scimitar, brad? I thought you trained with staves."

Brad smiled.

"Yes I know, Navi. I liked to train to staves until I got my hands on this beauty. It happened about four years ago. We were attacked. The five attackers were dark skinned females and they wore red and green clothes. They called themselves the Gerudo and they told us to surrender or die. Me and my clan didn't want to back down. I had everyone trained in the use of staves in case an attack ever happened. We told them to leave our village or there would be a lot of bloodshed. They simply laughed at us and started to chase us with scimitars. I managed to get everyone together and in the fighting, we managed to disarm their leader. I took her scimitar and chopped her head clean off. After the remaining gerudo saw their leader fall, they started to run away. We all took our staves and threw them like spears. We pinned two of them in the back and took their weapons."

Link gasped.

"Wow that's a good story. What happened then?"

Brad continued his story.

"We managed to chase the remaining two into the Great Deku Tree's meadow. Me, Fado and Saria all had scimitars and we closed in on the two while everyone else blocked the only way out of the meadow. One of them jumped at Saria and disarmed her. I ran over and put my blade through the gerudo's gut. The remaining gerudo tried to attack me. That wasn't a smart move. I easily dodged her attack and stabbed my blade into her back. That's how I got this beautiful weapon. The other two scimitars are in my house. I didn't think we needed them. Now, Link. I want you to tell me how you are able to shoot fireballs."

Link smiled.

"Well, I learned how to from a soldier named Viscen. He handed me a red orb and as I held it, it got smaller and then it disappeared. He told me the power went inside my body. He showed me how to shoot the fireball. I will show you the power if we run into any more plants okay? I don't want to burn the forest down accidently."

Brad frowned.

"All right. Have it your way. I hope we find another plant because I want to see your fire powers!"

Link sighed. He could tell Brad badly wanted to see his fireball ability.

"All right. You convinced me. Let's go to the training area and I will shoot a training dummy with a fireball."

Brad cheered loudly.

"That's the spirit, buddy! Let's go!"

Brad ran towards the training area with Link, Charlie, Navi and Izzy trying to keep up. Fado giggled as she watched them go.

"Hah hah! Looks like the boss is really excited to see that fireball. Maybe I should check it out too."

Fado carefully climbed down from the house and ran after them.

Upon entering the training ground, Brad could hear muffled grunts. He walked over to Makar and Dregal's house which was right beside the training ground. He caught a glimpse of movement behind the house. He walked over to investigate and he found Makar and Dregal bound tight with vines. They were sitting behind their house. As He walked closer to them, two plants suddenly emerged from the ground. They tried to bite Brad, but he quickly rolled out of the way. He shouted out a cry of distress, hoping the others would hear him.

"Hey guys! I'm behind Makar and Dregal's house! I need assistance!"

Fado was still trying to catch up to the others, but she heard the cry and started to run faster. She shouted a reply to Brad.

"I'm on my way, boss! I'll show the others where you are!"

As soon as Link, Charlie, Navi and Izzy heard the shouting, they turned around and saw Fado running towards them. Link heard Brad, but he didn't see where he went. Fado ran ahead of everyone and motioned everyone else to follow.

When they got behind the house, they saw the two big plants. Brad heard them approach. He turned to Link.

"Well man, shall we do this? You take out the right one with a fireball. I got the left one."

Link nodded. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Meanwhile, Brad ran over to the left plant. The one on the right went to lunge at him, but before it could get close enough, a huse fireball struck it and blew it's head off. Brad gasped in shock. Such power! He wanted the power himself. He turned his attention to the remaining plant. He held his sword behind him and he slowly started to spin. As the spinning got faster, he moved towards the plant with amazing speed. The plant tried to bite Brad, but nothing could stop Brad once he started a spin attack. Brad severed the plant's head from it's body and he stopped spinning. He held his head.

"Oh man am I ever dizzy! I need to sit down!"

Everyone cheered as Brad sat down on the ground. Charlie and Link cut the vines restraining Makar and Dregal. Once the vines around their mouths were removed, Makar related their story.

"We were in the training area practicing our skills with our staves. Then without warning, those huge plants grabbed us from behind and restrained us. They kept looking at us and drooling. I'm certain that they were planning to eat us. Thank you, boss. Thank you, Link. We owe you two our lives."

Izzy flew above everyone's heads.

"Hey, everybody! Three cheers for Link and Brad! These two have been a constant help am I'm proud to be Brad's fairy partner! I took a quick look around and there are no plants left as well!"

Everyone gave Link and Brad three loud cheers.

"Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!"

Link scuffed his boots in embarrassment.

"No problem. It was nothing really."

Brad looked over at him.

"Don't be so modest, pal. You saved our hides with that awesome fireball ability. Can you please teach that to me?"

Link smiled.

"I don't know how to. Like I said, the power went inside me from that red orb. Tell you what. I will talk to Viscen and see if he can give me an orb to give to you."

Brad gasped in amazement.

"You would do that for me? Thank you so much, Link! You are a true friend. I'm glad to see that seven years hasn't affected our friendship! Now before you go, I need you to check the Forest Temple in the Lost woods. Saria went there to investigate an evil presence she felt. I fear that may be in danger!"

Just as those words left Brad's mouth, Link started to remember what Shiek said about the forest sage. His words suddenly came to mind.

"_The sage in the Forest Temple is waiting for the call of awakening. The sage is a girl I am sure you know."_

The sage of the Forest Temple... was it possible that the sage was Saria? Link shook his head and looked at Brad.

"Okay. We will go and check it out. Which way to the lost woods?"

Brad pointed to a hill near the forest shop.

"Just climb that hill. The entrance is on the top. Good luck, Pal!"

Link, Charlie and Navi proceeded towards the hill as their journey to the Forest Temple began.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Brad watched Link, Charlie and Navi as they made their way towards the hill where the entrance to the Lost Woods was located. He was extremely thankful that he had those three as friends. Without them, he would have never become Chief of the Kokiri clan. He didn't like watching them going towards the unknown in the Lost Woods. A plan began to form in his mind. He would help them out and guide them through the lost woods! But then, he thought of a problem. Who would be in charge while he was gone? Mentally, he started to consider candidates. Makar and Dregal were out of the question. They were obedient Kokiri, but they were also too laid back.. Saria would have been a good choice. But unfortunately, she was missing in the Forest Temple. Suddenly, it hit him. He would choose Fado! She always helped him with various tasks and she was very wise. It was her that had suggested to turn the prison into an infirmary for travelers . He smiled with pride. He now had his temporary chief. Luckily, she wasn't too far away. She was standing over near a house across from him. He walked over and greeted her.

"Hey, Fado. I have a huge favor I want to ask you."

Fado smiled at him. He enjoyed Brad's company. He was such a fierce fighter.

"What do you need, boss?"

"Would you take over as chief of the kokiri for awhile?"

Fado was taken aback. She had not expected him to ask such a huge favor. Being chief was a huge responsibility. Fado was curious as to why he had asked such a huge favor.

"I would be honored to, Brad. But why do you want me to?"

Brad knew she would ask this so he explained.

"I want to help out Link and his friends just like they helped me seven years ago. I don't want to see them get themselves lost in that forest. I also want to find Saria as well. I don't want you to be nervous, Fado. Just be yourself and don't do anything I wouldn't do. I will see you later."

Brad ran to catch up to Link and his friends. Izzy followed closely behind him. He waved to Fado as he ran.

Link and Charlie, along with Navi, were almost at the entrance to the Lost Woods. They began to walk through the entrance tunnel when they heard shouting behind them.

"Wait for me, Guys!"

It was Brad! Link laughed at him.

"Do you miss us that much, buddy? What's up?"

Brad smiled.

"Let me come with you. I want to help you guys out. It's the least I can do after you guys helped me out as much as you did in the past."

Charlie scratched his head.

"But what about your duties as Chief? Don't you have things to do?"

Brad patted Charlie on his arm. He couldn't reach his shoulder.

"You're a good egg, Charlie. I've already taken care of that. I put Fado in command. She will do fine. I have faith in her abilities. I also figured that if I travel with you, I would eventually learn how to shoot fireballs."

Link sighed.

"I'm not sure how to teach you, Brad. I can try to focus my power into you, but I may burn you badly. I'm not even sure if I can focus my power like that. It's up to you. Do you want me to try?"

Brad considered it for a moment and then he nodded. Having a power like that would be extremely useful if Kokiri Village ever got attacked again.

"I'm in. What do you need me to do?"

"Just hold my hand and let me know if you feel anything. If you start to feel like you're on fire, let me know right away."

Brad nodded. Charlie, Navi and Izzy sat nearby and watched.

"Are you sure this gonna work, Link?", asked Charlie.

Link shook his head.

"No, Charlie. I don't. I'm just experimenting. Please don't bother me now. I'm trying to concentrate."

Link closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He started to imagine his power of fire and he imagined it was being fed into Brad. He opened his eyes and looked down at his hand. It was glowing orange. He looked over at Brad. He looked like he was in pain. Tears were coursing from his eyes. Link gasped.

"Brad! Are you okay? I knew this was a bad idea! What was I thinking?"

Brad shook his head.

"No, man. My whole body feels like it is on fire. Let go of my hand please!"

Link released his hold on Brad's hand. As soon as his hand was free, he fell to the floor. His whole body felt like somebody lit it on fire. He looked up at Link.

"You were right. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all!", he grunted.

Charlie ran over to him with Navi and Izzy behind him. Izzy flew into Brad's face.

"Please be alright. I can't imagine life without you. You are an awesome kokiri.", she cried.

Brad sat up. He was then helped to his feet by Charlie and Link. Link smiled at him.

"I think you're going to be alright. When you are feeling better, I want to see if I gave you the power or not."

Brad lifted his head weakly and faced Link.

"I hope so. That pain was very intense. I don't want to experience that again."

Izzy flew over to Link . She was in tears.

"Thank god you're alright. I thought you weren't going to make it."

She turned in Link's direction.

"Link! Why did you even try that? You could've killed Brad. Don't do anything so foolish to Brad ever again."

Link sighed. She was right of course. That was a stupid move. He turned to Brad to apologize.

"Listen, I'm sorry I put you in danger. That was very foolish of me. You could've been hurt a lot worse or even killed."

Brad smiled and shook his head.

"Don't take all of the blame. I encouraged you to try it remember? It's okay. Don't worry. The main thing is that I'm okay. Right, Isabel?"

Izzy glared at Brad.

"The name is Izzy! I hate the name Isabel! You should know that by now! We've been partners for more than ten years! I just want you two to be more careful. That's all!"

Charlie walked over to Brad. He still looked like he was in pain.

"Let me help you out, Brad. I'll carry you over behind me and we will take a rest."

Charlie picked him up and sat him down a short distance behind himself. Link, Navi and Izzy followed him and sat with him shortly after.

Brad sat down with all of his friends for almost half an hour. He tried to stand up. His legs felt much stronger than they did before and he no longer felt like he was on fire. He looked over at Link.

"I feel much better now. Can you see if I got the power inside me or not?"

Link nodded and stood up.

"Alright. I'm gonna try to train you the same way Viscen trained me. I want you to hold out a hand and close your eyes. Now I want you to imagine a fireball appearing in the center of your hand."

Brad nodded.

"Okay. Now what?"

Link continued.

"Now, I want you to imagine the fireball gradually getting bigger. Now, try and make that reality. You have to concentrate a lot."

Brad tried to concentrate. He pictured the fireball in his hand, but he was having trouble making it real. Link encouraged him.

"Come on, man. Don't give up yet."

Brad concentrated for a few more minutes and then he sighed and opened his eyes.

"I don't think I got the power. I guess you will have to talk to Viscen."

Link shook his head and grinned.

"No, man. You have the power. Look at your hand."

Brad glanced at his hand and gasped. It was glowing a dull orange! Brad smiled with joy.

"All right! I got the power! How do I make the fireball? My hand is only glowing."

Link nodded wisely.

"That is the start of a fireball. Close your eyes and try to concentrate harder."

Brad closed his eyes and imagined a big fireball forming into his hand. He then tried once more to make it real. He heard gasps around him and over top of the gasps, he heard Link's happy voice.

"You're doing it, Brad! Open your eyes and take a look!"

Brad opened his eyes and looked at his hand. He managed to form a fireball about the size of a small rock. Link instructed him how to throw it.

"Now, just imagine you are holding a rock and throw it into the air."

Brad nodded and attempted to throw the fireball. It left his hand and went up into the sky. It flew upward a short distance and then exploded. Small streams of fire flew out of it. Link knelt down and patted him on the back.

"Congratulations, Brad. You are now able to shoot fireballs like me. With more practice, you will be able to shoot larger fireballs than me."

Charlie walked over beside Link. He gave him a nudge.

"I hope you can teach me how to shoot fireballs sometime as well. That would be cool. At least I would feel more useful on this journey if I could help you in battles better."

Link shook his head.

"Are you insane? You want me to teach you how to shoot fireballs even after what happened to Brad? Out of the question. I'm not going to risk hurting another one of my friends. Tell you what, we will go talk to Viscen and see if he can get you a fire orb. I think that's the safer way to learn my powers. At least you don't get seriously injured that way. Oh and by the way, you're not useless. You have helped me out more than you realize. If you want, I can lend you the Master Sword. Just don't lose it or let an evil creature take it."

Charlie sighed and nodded.

"Okay. I'll borrow the Master sword. But what are you going to fight with?"

Link held out his hands and they started to glow orange.

"My fire! I will use my fireballs to fight off monsters. If I need the sword, I can always get it from you if you're not using it."

Link pulled out he Master Sword and handed it to Charlie. He smiled. He was a good friend. But sometimes, he wasn't very smart. He just saw Brad get injured by trying to learn the fireball power, but he still asked about it. Link sighed. He hoped that Viscen had another fire orb to give him. Link gasped. He suddenly remembered one of the main reasons he came to this forest again! He wanted to see if the Kokiris would like to join the Hyrule Resistance. He tapped Brad on the shoulder. He turned around and faced Link.

"What is it, Link?"

Link smiled at him.

"Brad, I am a member of the Hyrule Resistance and so is Charlie and Navi. I wanted to know if you and the Kokiri clan would join. We are trying to grow in numbers so we can one day wipe out Ganondorf's army. At least that's what Impa told me."

Brad nodded. It would likely be beneficial to the Kokiri clan if they joined.

"I'd love to. I'm sure the rest of the Kokiri would like to as well. Do you know what kind of army Ganondorf has? How many soldiers does he have at his command?"

Link scratched his head in deep thought.

"Hmm. I do know that his army mostly consists of undead creatures, ghosts, and Gerudo, but I don't know how many altogether."

Brad nodded. He could tell it wasn't going to be easy to take down his army.

"That's going to take a big army of our own to take out his army. There is one thing I want to ask you guys. Can I please travel with you on your journeys?"

Charlie was taken aback.

"But what about being leader of the Kokiri? Don't you have all that to worry about after we save Saria?"

Brad shrugged.

"To be honest, I'm getting tired of being the leader. Don't get me wrong, being the boss is great. I've been enjoying it for seven years now. But lately, I've been feeling restless. I want to help kill some of the rising evil in this land, but I can't do it while I'm stuck here being leader. I think I'm going to hand over leadership of the clan to Fado and resign."

He turned to Izzy.

"If you want to stay here in the forest Izzy, I'll understand."

Izzy smirked.

"No way, Brad. Wherever you go, I'm going to come with you. Count me in."

Brad smiled.

"That's awesome, Izzy. I"ll be glad to have you along with me."

Link patted Brad on the back.

"Welcome to our journey, bud. I'm glad to have you with us."

Brad started to walk into the forest. He looked back at everyone.

"Follow me. I'll lead you guys through this forest."

They followed Brad into the forest. There were four paths in all directions. Brad chose the right path. They walked down the path and came up to a ledge. There was a big target hanging from a tree in the distance. Brad explained.

"This is where Kokiris practice their skills with the slingshot. Four years ago, I made a slingshot for everyone. Shortly after, I climbed that tree and hung that target up there. Now, follow me to that path to the left."

Everyone followed Brad down the path. Straight ahead of them was a strange tunnel. Brad shrugged.

"I'm not sure where that leads. It is blocked off by some large boulders. Let's continue on the path to the right."

They followed Brad down the path and came up to a huge pond with two paths. One to the left and one to the right. Brad pointed to the left path.

"Take that path. There is a tunnel at the very bottom of that pool, but is far too deep to get to. Let's move on. Now, We go through here and go straight again. Then we turn left and then we turn right and then we will be in the Sacred Forest Meadow."

They followed Brad's directions and before they knew it, they were in the Sacred Forest Meadow. Link tapped Brad's shoulder.

"I've been meaning to ask. How did you know the way like that?"

Brad smiled.

Me and Saria became close friends over the past seven years. She would always take me here. I guess I memorized the path over the years. It should be really easy to get to the Forest Temple. I hope you have a way to get up to it The entrance to the temple is very high. The only thing nearby is a tree. There is a branch above the entrance. The tree only has the one top branch, so it's hard to climb."

Link grinned.

"That's no problem at all. That's why I have this beauty."

He pulled out his hookshot. Brad gasped in amazement.

"Wow! What a neat looking device. What is it?"

Link explained what the device was.

"This is called a hookshot. It sticks a hook into a tree and then it has a trigger on it and when you squeeze it, it reels you in."

Brad nodded.

"Very impressive. That will do the job no question. Now, let's get moving. There won't be any monsters. I walked through here about a month ago and slain them all."

Brad was right. It was an easy walk through the meadow. There was a couple paths that twisted and turned, but there weren't any monsters in sight. Before long, they were in front of the Forest Temple. Suddenly, They heard an evil laugh and Vaati appeared in front of everyone. Link groaned.

"Not you again! What do you want? Give me my friend back already!"

Vaati sneered.

"Making demands already, Link? You know I can't do that. I'm here to finish you off, not give your friend back. You won't see him ever again, so just get used to it."

Link went to draw the Master Sword, but he forgot he gave it to Charlie. He cursed silently. Vaati laughed.

"You have no weapon? Perfect! That makes it even easier to kill you!"

He held out his hand and threw a ball of dark energy at Link. He dodged it and Brad, Charlie and the two fairies go out of the line of fire. Link gritted his teeth.

"You seem to forget. I can throw fireballs at you. I'm gonna make sure I torch your ass this time!"

Vaati started to laugh even harder.

"Big words, Link. That's not going to help you this time. Me and my father made sure of that!"

Link roared and concentrated and threw a fireball at him. He smiled and held out his hand. A purple shield surrounded his body. The fireball hit the shield and vaati dropped the shield and he was unharmed.. He laughed at Link's attempts to hurt him.

"Now what are you going to do, Link? Your puny fireballs can no longer hurt me! Just give up! I will make your death nice and quick. As for your friends, they can either join me or they will share the same fate as you!"

Link groaned. What was he going to do now? Vaati could now absorb his fireballs. He began to form an attack plan in his head. Hopefully it would work. He called to Navi.

"Navi! Can you try that move you used before while I try and fight him?"

Navi nodded.

"You can count on me, Link!"

Navi flew off out of the way as Vaati charged at Link. He decided to try another fireball only this time, he aimed for his head. Vaati grinned and blocked it like the last one. While he was distracted, Navi flew up to Vaati and screamed and glowed green in front of him. Vaati blocked it with his shield as well! He stopped charging towards Link and laughed at their plan.

"Nice try, guys! I saw through your plan! That won't even work on me anymore! Time to finish this!"

Link yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Charlie! I need my sword back now!"

Charlie grabbed it and quickly tossed it. It landed point down in front of Link. He quickly grabbed it and tried to stab Vaati. He deflected it and threw a shadow ball at Link's chest. Brad was watching his friend almost getting killed by Vaati and he couldn't stand to watch it anymore. He quickly closed his eyes and began to concentrate. With a roar, he opened his eyes ans held up both his hands and they both had very large fireballs in them! He tossed one at the shadow ball and the other at Vaati. The first fireball intercepted the shadow ball and blew it up. The second one headed straight for Vaati's chest. He attempted to black it, but he wasn't quick enough. It exploded on his chest and with an agonizing roar, he flew backwards. He weakly got back up. He was breathing heavily. He looked at Link

"Kill me! For the love of god, please end this! It's Max! I don't want to hurt anybody else!"

Link gasped.

"Max! You know I can't do that! My friends don't want to see you die either. We are going to get you back to normal no matter what it takes!"

Max gritted his teeth angrily.

"You idiot! Don't you remember what I told you in that vision? Are you so stupid that you can't figure out that it's impossible to get me completely back to normal? You fools are going to get killed by me! The longer you leave me alive, the greater the risk! You were just lucky that you managed to get me back to normal. Now, I'm going to ask you again, Link. Kill me before I change back."

Link concentrated and formed a fireball in his hand he went to throw it at Max, but he stopped and threw it on the ground. Max was outraged.

"Why the hell did you do that for? You should have shot it at me. I see you still won't kill me. So be it. I hope Vaati kills you next time!"

Max teleported away. Link stared at the ground sadly. Brad came over and patted his shoulder.

"It's okay, man. I don't think I could've killed him either. We are going to find a way to return him to normal on our journey. Just you wait and see!"

Link sighed heavily.

"Thanks, Brad. By the way, how did you get fireballs in both hands like you did?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. I got angry when I saw him about to kill you. I concentrated and I somehow created two huge fireballs."

Izzy flew over into Brad's face.

"That was amazing, Brad! You can use your anger to your advantage with those fireballs. I guess getting hurt before was worth it."

"Thanks, Izzy."

Charlie and Navi walked over.

"Izzy was right, Brad. You are an awesome Kokiri."

He turned to Navi.

"It's too bad that defensive move didn't work, Navi."

Navi merely shrugged.

"Oh well. No big deal. As long as something worked against him. That's all that matters. He may have had a point, Link. The longer we leave him alive, the greater the risk of him killing us. I know he is your friend, but maybe we should have ended his misery."

Link shook his head.

"No! I won't accept that. He is merely frustrated that he can't fight back when Vaati is in control. We are going to save him. No need to worry. Anyway, let's get up to the Forest Temple."

They all looked up and they saw the tree branch. Link pulled out his hookshot and turned to brad.

"Climb onto my shoulders and hold on tight."

Brad climbed onto Link's shoulders. Link shot the hookshot at the tree branch. It stuck in tight. He then squeezed the trigger and reeled both him and Brad in. Link pulled out the hook and then tossed it down to Charlie. He shot the hook at the tree and reeled himself up as well. They then proceeded to enter the Forest Temple to find Saria.


	31. The reasonwhyI'm not replying to reviews

**The Reason I'm not replying to reviews**

Hi, people. This isn't a new chapter! I just wanted to explain why I am not replying to reviews. If you are a guest on fanfiction and do not have an account, I cannot reply to your reviews. I appreciate the feedback as always, but if you want me to reply to your comments or suggestions, please create an account and then I will gladly reply. Cheers.

Zmaster26


	32. Chapter 31

Hey, everybody. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. I also hope I got my point across when I explained why I'm not answering reviews. I don't want everyone to think that I'm too important to answer them. No way. I'm just a regular guy who happens to be a HUGE zelda fan! That is all. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 31**

As soon as they entered the Forest Temple, everyone gasped in awe. The room they were now in was covered in vines and all sorts of different trees. Link saw a door at the far end of the room and proceeded to walk towards it when suddenly, a big wolf appeared out of nowhere and began to dash towards Link with amazing speed. Brad ran up to Link and pushed him lightly out of the way.

"Let me handle this. I've dealt with these wolves before."

Link, Charlie and the two fairies stood to one side as Brad pulled out his scimitar and advanced on the wolf. As soon as Link was out of the way, the wolf charged towards Brad instead. He watched the wolf's movements carefully. Then at the last second, he jumped into the air and brought his sword crashing down into the beast's back. The wolf cried in agony and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Brad turned to his astonished friends.

"I've fought those wolves before. In fact, there used to be a lot of them in the Sacred Forest Meadow before I killed them all. I'm not sure, but I think they were created by either Ganondorf or Vaati. We better be careful. If those wolves are in here, who knows what else lurks within."

Charlie smiled.

"Brad to the rescue again. Thanks for your help. We made a good decision when we let you come along with us eh, Link?"

Link smiled.

"Of course we did. I don't regret it for a second. Not after how he saved us from Vaati like he did."

Brad scratched the back of his head lightly, a sign of embarrassment with Kokiris.

"Don't worry about it, guys. I'm glad to help in any way I can."

Izzy flew around in excitement.

"I wouldn't have expected anything less from my pal. He was leader of the Kokiri clan before and now, he's saving everyone's lives!"

Brad smiled at Izzy.

"Thank you very much. I'm glad you chose me as a friend. Now, let's explore the rest of this temple shall we?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and they proceeded through the next door.

The next room was enormous. There were at least four doors in each direction. In the center of the room, there was a platform with a small roof. Around the platform, there were four torches, one at each corner of the platform. One was a normal orange. The second one was bright blue. The third one was a very bright green and the last one was a dark purple. Link began to walk towards the platform when Brad suddenly pulled him back. Link looked at him oddly.

"Why did you do that for? I want to investigate that platform."

Brad nodded.

"I know, but hold on. Something isn't quite right about those torches."

Suddenly, the flames from the torch holders began to float into the air. The platform then sank into the floor. Shortly after, four ghosts appeared and they were holding the torches inside four lanterns! The ghosts were barely visible, but everyone was able to just make them out. They looked ugly and deformed. The one ghost holding the blue flame was missing a head. The ghost holding the orange flame had hooks for hands. The ghost holding the green flame had a twisted body. The final ghost was the only one of the four that looked like a normal person. It was wearing old looking rags and it had a beard. They all rose to the top of the room and disappeared. Link gasped in shock.

"Man those ghosts were creepy! Thanks for pulling me back, Brad. I gotta learn to observe things more carefully."

Brad walked towards the platform.

"No problem. Those torches must've been holding this platform up somehow. I think we need to find those ghosts as we explore this place. I have a feeling that they were trying to stop us from moving forward. Let's hope we come across them."

Link nodded in agreement.

"That's a good idea. If we see them, let's kill them. I don't know where that platform goes, but I imagine it's our destination."

Link, Charlie, Brad and the two faires moved forward through the dark temple.

Back at his castle, Ganondorf was furious. Once again, his incompetent son was defeated by the kid in green with the help of his friends. Vaati stood in front of him. Ganondorf gave him a stern lecture.

"You're useless! How many times have you failed to kill those kids?! Not only were you almost killed, you were back to normal briefly. I saw the whole thing. Max begged the kid in green to end his life, but he refused. I guess I'm going to have to show you how it's done. Is my creation ready?"

Vaati bowed to his father.

"Yes, Father. It's in the other room. Do you want to see it?"

Ganondorf sneered. Stupid kid! He was the one who made it! Why would he need to see it?

"No you idiot! Just make sure it arrives at the Forest Temple right away! I made sure the flames were stolen from the torches keeping that platform open. I summoned four ghosts to do my bidding. Now those fools have to track those ghosts down. While they are doing that, I want you to teleport my creation below where that platform leads. Now go and don't disappoint me this time!"

Vaati sighed and was about to leave when Ganondorf called to him.

"Wait! I have been too hard on you lately. I apologize. When you return from your task, I want you to take a rest. My creation should easily deal with those fools. That is if they manage to find those ghosts first!"

Vaati smiled. His father was actually being nice to him again! He nodded and walked off to do his task.

Link and his friends tried most of the doors in the room the torches were stolen, but they were all locked and required keys. They continued to explore the room and they came up to a blue block with strange symbols on it. Link looked at it oddly. He turned to Brad.

"Have you ever come across anything like this before?"

Brad and izzy studied the block carefully. It was a circle with a lot of vertical lines around it. Brad turned to Link and shook his head.

"Nope. I haven't seen anything like this in the forest at all. It looks like a giant stone block to me and that's it. How about you, Izzy? Can you figure anything out about that block?"

Izzy wasn't listening. She was studying the symbols closely. She turned to Brad.

"I think I've deciphered another inscription I found on this block. At least some of it. Take a look on the right side of this block. There is some Hylian writing."

Link looked to where Izzy was pointing. It looked like a bunch of funny scribbles to him. He turned to Izzy.

"What have you deciphered so far?"

"Well, I've got most of it figured out. It says "_In order to remove this block, play the." _That's all I got deciphered and there is another small bit I couldn't figure out. Do you want to try, Navi?"

Navi nodded.

"Sure. I'll see if I can decipher the rest."

She went over to the Hylain writing. After a few minutes, she laughed in excitement.

"Got it! It says "_In order to remove this block, play the Song of Time."_

Charlie laughed aloud.

"Good job, Navi. Play the sdong, Link and let's see what happens."

Link smiled at Navi and pulled out his ocarina and he played the Song of Time. Suddenly, the block vanished in a flash of blue light, revealing an unlocked door on the other side! Link opened the door and everyone walked into the next room.

The next room resembles a small courtyard. There was a well at the far end of the room, but they didn't know which way to go. Link and Brad began to walk forward and explore the area with Navi and Izzy. Charlie was behind everybody else. Suddenly, Charlie spotted movement in the ground beside Link, brad and the two fairies. A huge monsterous plant poked it's head out of the ground and turned it's head towards Link wnd Brad. Charlie looked nervously in the Direction of them. They didn't seem to notice it. Suddenly, the plant lunged at Link's head. Charlie ran towards Link with amazing speed.

"Link! Watch out behind you!"

Charlie pushed Link out of the way. The plant brought it's gaping mouth down and buried it's sharp teeth into Charlie's back. He roared in pain. Brad turned around to see what the commotion was and he saw the plant attacking Charlie. He roared in rage and he quickly pulled out his sword. He was very upset that he let his guard down. He held his sword in both hands. Suddenly, his hands began to glow orange. Brad was confused. He never concentrated, yet his hands were glowing in result of his fire powers. He saw something else glowing in the corner of his eye. He looked at his sword. To his surprise, his sword was glowing bright orange! He slowly began to realize that he made the sword glow orange with his powers. He grinned. He faced the plant and he started spinning with his red hot blade. He moved away from Charlie and luckily, the plant released it's hold on Charlie's back and followed him. The plant got very close to Brad and tried to lunge at him. It struck something hard and made a loud _Clang!_ It pulled back. Brad stopped spinning and turned towards the plant. It was on fire. It struck Brad's red hot spinning blade and got caught on fire. It shrieked as the fire spread down the plant's body. Within minutes, the plant was burned black from the fire and lying on the ground dead.

Brad turned around and walked over to Where Charlie was. Link was already beside him. Brad looked at Link. His face had a worried look to it.

"Is Charlie going to be okay?"

Link shook his head sadly.

"I'm not sure. He got hit really bad. Take a look at these teeth marks."

Brad looked at Charlie's back. There were at least fifteen horizontal teeth marks across Charlie's back. They all looked very deep and serious. They were still bleeding badly. Link took a deep breath.

"He's out cold. I've tried to wake him up, but I haven't got any response. He needs medical help immediately. By the way, that was amazing how your sword ended up glowing red hot from your fire powers."

Brad smiled and nodded silently.

Navi flew over to Charlie.

"I hope he is going to be alright. He is going to be alright isn't he?"

Link shook his head.

"It's too soon to know. We gotta get out of here somehow and get him to a doctor."

Suddenly, a man wearing silver armor and a blue cape appeared in front of them. He bowed to them.

"Greetings. Can you good people please tell me where I am?"

Link looked up from Charlie's still body.

"You are in the Forest Temple. Who are you anyway?"

He nodded wisely.

"The Forest Temple. Okay. Can you tell me where I can find a boy named Link?"

"My name's Link."

He sighed in relief.

"Well at least this teleport spell worked. My name is Ralph and I've been looking for you. Viscen sent me. He wants to know how you are doing in your quest. Do you have the support of the Kokiri people?"

Brad spoke up for him.

"Yes he does. He shall have it after we find my friend Saria. But first, we need to get our pal Charlie to a doctor."

He pointed to the still form of Charlie lying on the ground. Ralph walked up to him and examined his wounds.

"Oh my! These wounds are horrific! What happened?"

Link explained to Ralph what had transpired.

"He was bitten by a giant plant. I almost got bit, but Charlie pushed me out of the way. What a brave guy."

Ralph scratched his chin.

"Alright. Hang on. I am going to teleport us to Kakariko. There is a skilled doctor there that should be able to tend to those wounds."

Ralph waved his hands and suddenly, they disappeared from the Forest Temple. Link closed his eyes during the teleporting. When he opened them again, they were in Kakariko! Brad walked around and gasped in awe.

"Wow! This is amazing! I haven't been anywhere else. So, where is this doctor?"

Ralph nodded.

"Follow me. She lives behind the Hyrule Resistance building. Before Doctor Frederick passed away, He taught her all he knew about medicine and remedies to help people. Her name is Anju."

Link gasped in shock. He remembered Anju! He and Charlie helped her out in the past with her chickens. So she was a doctor now Link shrugged. As long as she could help Charlie, he didn't care. He picked up Charlie and Followed Ralph. Link smiled at him.

"So how do you know Viscen?"

Ralph grinned.

"Me and him go way back. We have been best friends for years. He just recently taught me that teleport spell. He told me about you and your quest to gain the support of the Kokiris and he told me that the teleport spell should take me to where you are. I'm now glad I found you when I did."

Link took Ralph's hand and shook it.

"Thank you very much for your help, Ralph. Without you, Charlie may have died in that temple."

Ralph grinned.

"Think nothing of it. Now, let's get your friend to the doctor."


	33. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Link, Brad, Navi and Izzy followed Ralph to the infirmary. Link carried Charlie inside. He was still unconscious, but his wounds stopped bleeding for the moment. Link was immediately greeted by a red haired girl in a white coat. He recognized her immediately.

"Hello. Can I help you?"

Link nodded and looked down at Charlie's limp form.

"My friend needs medical attention right away. He was attacked in the back by a monstrous plant."

She had him set Charlie onto a nearby bed. Anju turned him over and saw the deep gashes into his back and gasped in horror.

"Oh my! Those are very serious wounds. I will have to prep him for immediate surgery. I don't have a lot to work with, but I will try my best to patch those wounds up."

Link smiled and nodded.

"Thank you very much. Do you remember me by chance? I'm Link."

Anju scratched her chin.

"Link? Where have I heard that name before...Oh yes! You were the young kid who helped me gather my chickens! I remember that day like it was yesterday. A lot has happened since then, but I'm afraid I don't have time to chat right now."

Brad looked at Charlie's still form. He then looked up at Anju.

"Is my friend going to be okay?"

Anju shrugged.

"I'm not sure yet. I need to work on those wounds and see if I can find something to put on them that will speed up the healing. But I need you and Link to clear the infirmary. I have a lot of work to do. It's good to see you again, Link."

Ralph grabbed Link and Brad lightly by their arms.

"Come. Let's go outside where we won't be a bother to her."

He led them outside and the fairies followed them out. Link covered his eyes.

"What next? Every time I turn around, me or my friends are getting injured."

Ralph tried to calm him down.

"I wouldn't worry. Anju should be able to fix him up. She's come a long way. When everyone evacuated the Castle down and came here, Doctor Frederick set up that infirmary. He then sought out a pupil that he pass all of his medical knowledge down to. At the time, Anju was looking for a change of pace. So one day, she walked into the infirmary and offered to be Frederick's assistant. He was overjoyed. He finally had someone to teach medicine to before he died. For two years, Frederick taught her everything he knew and over that time, they grew close. Anju once told me that he felt like a grandfather to her. When he died, Anju took the sad news very hard. Nobody saw her for a few days. Then one day, she was spotted working in the infirmary and since that day, she has been the doctor here in Kakariko."

Link smiled.

"That was a nice story. Thanks for sharing. I think I will stay in town until Charlie is better. I owe him that much after he stayed with me when I got hit seven years ago."

Ralph smiled in admiration. He really cared about his friend's well being.

"Well whatever you decide is fine by me, but follow me. You should report in to Impa and tell her the news about the kokiri."

"Sounds good to me. Let's go, everyone."

Link and Brad walked in the Hyrule Resistance building, with Navi and Izzy following closely behind. Ralph led them to where Impa was. She was upstairs sitting at a desk with paper and an inkwell beside it. She was about to dip her quill pen when she heard footsteps. She looked behind her and smiled.

"Hello, Link. How is your mission coming along? Do we have the support of the Kokiris?"

"Yes we will. As soon as I help my friend here."

He pointed to Brad beside him. Impa got up from her chair and walked over to him.

"Hi there, little fella. Are you a Kokiri?"

Brad glared at Impa. He didn't like being teased about his size.

"I may be small, but I am thirty years old! I was the leader of the Kokiri, but I decided to travel with Link and Charlie."

Impa gasped with surprise.

"Wow! You're that old? Forgive me. I shouldn't have thought you were a child So are your people willing to join the resistance?"

Brad nodded.

"They will listen to me even though I'm not the leader. I never told Fado it was a permanent promotion. I just want Link to help me find our friend Saria. Then I will gladly convince the others to join your cause."

Impa took Brad's hand and shook it.

"It sounds like a plan, sir. Link will help you find Saria. By the way, where is your friend Charlie?"

Link looked down to the floor sadly.

"He got hit very bad in the Forest Temple. He's now being treated at the infirmary. I'm not going to leave here until he's better."

Impa scoffed.

"Nonsense! I know you care a great deal for your friend, but you have a job to do as well! I want you to go and find your friend Saria. I will get Viscen and Ralis to look after Charlie as soon as they are awake. They are asleep in the other room."

Link was hesitant.

"But I want to stay with my friend in case his condition worsens! I'm sure Argus would agree with me. Where is he now?"

Impa sighed.

"You just missed him. He went back to see how his people were faring without him. Now, I hate to pull rank on you, but I'm ordering you to go and help Brad to find Saria. You don't have to worry about Charlie. He will be fine! Now please finish your mission."

Link sighed. He didn't think Impa would order him to go like that.

"Fine. I'm going. Let's go, Brad, Navi, Izzy."

They walked towards Ralph and he confronted them.

"Wait, guys. I can teleport you back. It will save you all that walking. How does that sound?"

Link scratched his chin reflectively.

"That sounds much easier. Thank you for the help. Is there any chance you can teach me how to teleport?"

Ralph shook his head.

"Not right now, Link. Viscen will have to teach you. It's a little complicated to teach that skill. Anyway, hold on. I'm taking you back to the Forest Temple and to the same room where I teleported you out before."

Link, Brad and the two fairies braced themselves. Ralph held his arms out wide and his hands started to glow bright white. Suddenly, Kakariko Village started to disappear around them. Within seconds, they were back in the Forest Temple again. Ralph turned to them.

"There you go. Wasn't that a lot quicker than walking back? Now, I gotta get back to Kakariko. I'll let you know how Charlie is making out. Good luck!"

He waved his hands quickly and disappeared. Brad turned to Link.

"Listen. We gotta try to be very careful in here. I don't want either of us to get hurt like poor Charlie. We will need Navi and Izzy's help to scout for enemies and to make sure we don't get ambushed again. Now, which way do we go?"

Link looked the large room. It had the look of a small courtyard. In one corner, there was a well and a wall with vines growing up it. He walked up to the well and took a look down. It was filled up to the top with water. He then turned his attention to the vines on the wall. He gave them a pull. They seemed to be solid enough to climb. Link looked upwards and he could see a ledge very high up. Link turned to Brad, Navi and Izzy.

"I think we gotta go this way. We can't get into that well, so I think that we have to proceed this way."

Brad nodded in admiration.

"Good eye, buddy. Let's start climbing. I wish we had wings so we could fly up like our fairies."

Navi grinned.

"Well you don't. So quit whining and start climbing, lazybones!"

Brad gasped in surprise.

"What did you just call me?! I'll show you I'm not lazybones! Let's climb this thing, Link!"

Link started the ascent to the top, with Brad climbing up right beside him with the glow of determination in his eyes. He started to get tired and he looked at Link. He was climbing up with ease. Brad had to know why he wasn't having any troubles climbing.

"Have you done this before, Link? You aren't having any troubles climbing and I'm almost exhausted."

He simply nodded and gasped out a reply as he climbed.

"Yeah. I've done this a couple times already. First, I climbed up some vines in the Great Deku Tree seven years ago. Then me and Charlie climbed Death Mountain. So you could say that I have had experience. Don't quit now, Brad. We are almost there!"

Brad was exhausted, but he kept on climbing and soon enough, he and Link were at the ledge. Link was first up and he reached down and pulled Brad the rest of the way up. Izzy and Navi were beside Link and congratulated Brad.

"Way to go, Brad! I knew you could do it. Well done."

"Thanks, Izzy."

"I'm sorry I teased you, Brad. Way to go!"

Brad glared at Navi.

"It's a good thing that you are Link's friend. If you weren't, I might've taken you and shot you out of my slingshot!"

Navi gasped in shock. She never saw Brad get angry before.

"I said I was sorry, Brad.

He held up his hand.

"Enough apologies. Don't talk to me right now."

He turned to Link.

"Let's get a move on. I think I see a door ahead."

They walked ahead and sure enough, there was a door. They opened the door and entered the small room. There was a big treasure chest in the middle of the room and a door on the other side of the room. Link walked up to the treasure chest and opened it. There was a map of the temple inside. Link smiled happily.

"No more getting lost for us. This map is going to prove very useful. I just know it."

Link studied the map carefully.

"Okay this is weird. I think I found the room we are in, but the room ahead looks very similar to the room we left. Oh well let's press on."

They went through the door ahead and they were standing on a balcony. There was a switch ahead of them on the floor. Link walked over and stepped on it. Suddenly, they heard a swirling noise below. Link looked down and the room was almost identical to the other one. There was even a well in the one corner. Link scratched his head.

"Okay this is a problem. How do we get down there? We may have to turn around. I wish I had that teleporting ability right now."

Brad groaned.

"You gotta be kidding me. Now we gotta climb back down those vines?"

Link nodded and sighed.

"It seems that way. If we try to jump off, we would likely be killed. Let's go back to those vines."

They walked into the small room again and back out where the vines were. Link carefully descended down from the vines. Brad followed him down closely behind. Navi and Izzy were patiently awaiting their descent at the bottom. Navi turned to Izzy.

"What am I going to do about Brad? He hates me ever since I called him lazybones. I was only joking, but he took it quite seriously don't you think?"

Izzy nodded slowly.

"Yeah he did, Navi. That was a mean thing to say though. Brad isn't a lazy kokiri. In fact, he is one of the most active kokiri there is. Back at the village, he was constantly practicing with his sword. He would wake up early every morning just to get some training in. When you called him lazybones, he must have felt insulted. If I were you, I would just give him some time and leave him alone."

Navi sighed.

"I guess you're right. I feel bad about the whole thing. I will do as you say and leave him alone if you think it is for the best."

As soon as they both climbed down, Link walked past the well a few steps and then he stopped. Was it just his imagination or was something different? He turned around and looked into the well. He laughed aloud. The water was drained! That switch he stepped on must have drained the well of water. Now they could explore it. Link called everyone over.

"Guys. Over here! Our next destination is this well. The water is gone so we can now explore it."

Brad scratched his chin.

"Alright that sounds good. But how do we get down to the bottom without hurting ourselves?"

Link turned to Navi.

"Can you take a look down there to see if there is a way to climb down?"

Navi nodded silently and flew down into the well. She wasn't gone long. She flew back out and told Link what she had found.

"There is a lot of vine growing all the way down the well. You should be able to easily climb down."

Link patted Navi gently on the head.

"Thanks, Navi. You're a true pal."

He turned to Brad.

"Are you ready to go?"

Brad nodded.

"Let's do this! Race you to the bottom!"

They started climbing down in earnest. Brad was slightly ahead of Link. He kept climbing until suddenly, he heard a snapping noise. He looked at the vine he was climbing and it was almost broke off the wall! He turned to Link in alarm.

"Link! This vine I'm climbing down is about to snap!"

Link quickly got a free hand ready and he reached out with one hand while holding onto the vine on the wall with the other.

"Grab my hand, Brad. Quickly!"

Brad reached out to grab Link's hand, but he couldn't quite reach it. Suddenly, Brad's vine snapped and Brad fell off the wall with a cry of dismay. Link watched as he disappeared from sight down below. He tried to call out his name.

"Brad! Are you okay? Please say something if you are!"

There was no reply from the depths of the well. Link turned to Navi and Izzy.

"You guys go ahead and see if you can find Brad! I hope he's okay. Hang on, buddy! I'm coming to help you!"


	34. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Brad was in a panic as he fell and he trying to find something solid to grab a hold of, but he couldn't find anything. He was almost certain he was going to die. He thought about his friends Link and Charlie. He was never going to see them again. He started to think about his clan the Kokiri. He hoped the kokiri clan would do alright with Fado in charge. Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a bright blue light. It quickly got brighter and surrounded him. In the well, he could just make out the shape of something small with wings beside him. The blue light was being created by the shape. Suddenly, Brad hit the ground with a _Thud!_ The impact of the fall knocked him off his feet. He got up and looked at himself in confusion. Everything was fine. He had no cuts or broken bones! How did he survive the fall with no injuries at all? He looked around himself and the blue light was still around him. Could the blue light be some sort of shield? He couldn't figure out what was going on. He decided to sit down and wait for Link, Navi and Izzy.

Link started climbing down vines faster than he ever did before. He wanted to see if his friend Brad was alright. At the same time, he was trying to be careful not to grab a hold of loose vines. Navi and Izzy decided to stay close to Link and they were following close behind him.

Navi tried to talk some sense into Link.

"You have to slow down, Link! If you climb down too fast, you're going to fall just like Brad did!"

He glared at Navi.

"In normal circumstances, I would listen to you. But I just saw one of my best friends fall down a deep well. I want to hurry in case he's hurt badly!"

He looked down into the depths of the well. He could faintly see a glowing blue light. He stopped climbing down and turned to the two fairies.

"Do you guys see a blue light below? Or is it just me?"

Izzy stared down below and she saw a blue light as well. She turned to Navi.

"He's right. I can see a blue light below. We gotta get down there and see what's going on!"

Navi nodded. She turned to Link.

"Ignore what I just told you! Let's get a move on!

After a lot of tedious downward climbing, Link finally made it to the bottom. He turned and he saw where the blue light was coming from. It was being created by something, but he couldn't tell what it was. There was something inside the blue light. Suddenly, it stood up and began to speak.

"Hey, guys! Am I glad to see your faces!"

The voice belonged to Brad! He was okay! Link sighed with relief.

"Brad! I thought I wouldn't see you alive anymore! How did you survive that fall? And what is creating this blue light?"

Brad shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know how I survived that fall. As for the light, I have a theory. I think it is a shield of some sort. Try touching it."

Link put his hand neat it and it gave him a shock. He turned to Navi.

"Can you try to provide some light down here? I want to see what's creating this shield around Brad."

Navi nodded. She got closer to the shield. Her bright white body illuminated the room. A fairy was creating the shield! Suddenly, the shield began to fade and the fairy collapsed on the ground in a heap. Navi flew over to the fairy. She gasped aloud.

"I don't believe it! Guys, the fairy is Valerie!"

Link gasped.

"You mean Saria's fairy? What's she doing down here?"

Navi shrugged.

"I'm not sure, but she's unconscious. That shield must have used up all of her energy."

Izzy flew over to Valerie.

"I hope she's okay! Me and here are good friends."

Brad nodded and smiled.

"I hope she comes around soon. I have to thank her. I owe her my life."

A short while later, Valerie began to groan loudly. She opened her eyes. Brad, Izzy, Navi and Link were all standing around her. She looked over at Brad.

"Did...it...work?", she asked weakly

Brad sat beside her.

"Do you mean that shield?"

She nodded slowly.

"Yes it did, Valerie. Thank you very much. I owe you my life."

She smiled at him.

"Think nothing of it When I saw you fall, I decided to try my special ability. That shield is called Nayru's Love. The leader of the Great Fairies taught it to me a few years ago. I've never used it until today."

Brad patted her lightly on the head.

"Well, I'm glad it worked for you. I thought I was going to die today. Do you know where Saria is by any chance?"

Valerie started to cry softly.

"She was captured by monsters in this temple When Saria was captured, she was dragged away kicking and screaming. She tried to get away, but the monsters were far too strong. I was almost captured myself. One of them got tired of trying to capture me and tried killing me with a sword instead. I barely escaped with my life. I ended up hiding down here so the monster wouldn't chase me anymore. It was a good thing I did."

Link smiled.

"Don't worry about Saria We'll find her together. Are you able to move yet?"

Valerie stood up weakly and tried to fly, but she was still too weak. She shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. Creating that shield absorbed all of my energy. Navi, Izzy, do you two know how to link your powers together? If you can do that, you may be able to perform a heal spell."

They looked at each other in confusion. Was such a thing even possible? They both shook their heads. Valerie laughed weakly.

"It's easier than you think. You first have to hold hands."

Navi and Izzy turned and held hands.

"Okay. Now, focus your powers. When you build up enough power, concentrate and aim it at me. Don't worry. I can assure you that I won't be harmed."

Navi and izzy began to concentrate. They were both glowing very bright. Link and Brad had to shield their eyes. Suddenly, two bolts of energy shot out from both Navi and Izzy and went right into Valerie. She smiled with joy. They actually managed to pull it off. She got up and flew into the air. She called to Navi and Izzy.

"Okay you can stop now. I am fully healed. Nice work you two!"

They stopped focusing and their glowing subsided. Brad nudged Link.

"Do you realize if we knew they could do that earlier, they could've healed Charlie?"

Link shrugged.

"Yeah, but I don't think they knew either. Maybe after we find Saria in here, we'll go back to Kakariko and do just that."

Navi and Izzy looked at each other in amazement. With their combined powers, they actually managed to heal Valerie. Navi looked over at Valerie.

"Thanks for teaching us how to do that. That ability will be very useful in our quest."

Valerie looked at her in confusion.

"What kind of quest are you on?"

"Me, Link, Brad and Izzy are on a quest to gather medallions and put a stop to Ganondorf and his evil. One of our friends was injured in here and back in Kakariko and another one was turned evil by Ganondorf. I gotta admit, this has been quite the unusual quest so far."

Valerie nodded.

"It sounds like it. Well, I'm feeling much better now thanks to you and Izzy. Let's get moving shall we?"

Navi nodded.

"Sounds like a plan. Are we ready to go, Link?"

He nodded and looked around the bottom of the well. He soon discovered a passage leading through the depths of the well. He kept walking and suddenly, he stubbed his toe on something hard. He looked down and there was a small treasure chest. He opened it and there was a key inside. Brad walked up beside Link.

"What's up? Why are we stopping?"

He held up the silver key in front of him. Brad could just make it out.

"I found a key. I guess we'll find out what it's for later."

He resumed walking ahead until he came up to a dead end. There was a wall in front of him. Link looked up and there was a hole leading straight up with vines growing up it. Link groaned and started to climb through the hole in the ceiling. Brad was a short distance behind. The three fairies followed up in the rear. Valerie was ready to use Nayru's Love again if she had to. After what seemed like hours, they finally made it out of the hole and into another room. Link gasped. This was the very same room they were looking at from above before! It resembled a small courtyard. There were shrubs dotted around all corners of the small room. There was even an old broken water fountain. He turned around and he noticed that they climbed out of yet another well. He saw Brad struggling and he pulled him out the rest of the way. The three fairies flew out of the well and looked around. Navi spotted an unlocked door.

"Link! There is a door to your right. It looks unlocked."

Link nodded and began to walk towards it. Suddenly, a monstrous plant popped out of the ground behind Link. He never noticed it. Brad saw it turn it's head towards Link. Navi and Izzy saw it as well. They all shouted at Link.

"Hey Link! Look out behind you!", screamed Navi.

"Link! Don't end up getting hurt like Charlie! Turn around!", screamed Izzy.

Link turned around and the huge plant had it's head very close to Link's head with it's sharp teeth bared. Link had no time to react. Valerie sprang into action and quickly flew in front of Link and put a shield around Link's body. The plant got zapped from the magical shield. It got enraged and tried to attack Valerie. Brad couldn't take it anymore. He pulled out his scimitar and he jumped behind the plant. It detected movement and turned around. The enormous plant lunged at Brad. Brad did a back flip and started spinning with his blade. Faster and faster he spun. He aimed his spin towards the plant with blinding speed. It hissed angrily and tried to lunge at the spinning Brad. The move decapitated the unlucky plant and it's body dropped lifeless to the ground. Valerie, seeing there was no more danger, removed the shield surrounding Link. Brad stopped spinning. He was feeling dizzy after the spinning. Valerie turned and glared at Link.

"You gotta be more observant, Link! That was too close."

Izzy flew in front of Link.

"Yeah it was. You almost ended up like Charlie. Be more careful!"

Link turned and faced everybody.

"I'm sorry, guys. I got a lot on my mind. I was thinking about Saria and hoping we find her. I'm also worried about Charlie and I hope he's alright. Finally, I was thinking about Max again and wondering if he will ever be normal again. All that distraction almost got me attacked. I'm sorry, my friends."

Brad walked in front of Link and looked up at him.

"I wouldn't call that a distraction. You're just worried about your friends that's all. It's understandable. But you can't let that stop you from focusing. Come on, pal. Cheer up. Let's move through this place and leave our worries behind for later."

Link smiled and patted Brad on the back.

"Thank you, Brad. You're right as usual. I'm gonna try not to worry anymore."

They opened the door and walked into the next room. The door barred shut behind them. They soon realized that they were back in the room where they saw the ghosts! Link groaned aloud.

"Are we just going in circles?"

Brad looked around the huge room and nodded slowly.

"It seems that way. Why don't we see if that key you found will fit one of the locked doors in here?"

Navi brightened up.

"What a great idea, Brad! Let's take a look at the nearest door. It's just up the stairs beside us."

They made their way up the stairs. Link walked up to the door and tried unlocking it with the key he found. It fit perfectly and unlocked the door! Link and Brad walked inside. Brad turned around and held the door open for the three fairies. Valerie thanked him for being so courteous.

"Thanks for holding the door for us, Brad! That was very nice of you."

Brad scuffed his boot in embarrassment.

"Ah it was nothing. Glad to help you guys out."

They made their way slowly forward in the big round room. There were red banners all over the walls and there was blue carpet spread across most of the floor. Suddenly, a faint laughter echoed around the room. Brad looked around in fright.

"Was that you, Link? What's so funny?"

Link shook his head.

"I never laughed. I assumed you were laughing."

Brad started to feel frightened.

"The faerie's voices don't echo like that, but if it wasn't you or me, who was laughing?"

Suddenly, a big bulky skeleton in steel armor appeared beside Brad. It whispered into his ear.

"I'll give you a hint, kid. It was me! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Brad jumped back in fright. He looked at Link nervously.

"Kill that damn thing, Link! It scares the hell out of me!"

Link walked up in front of the skeleton with his master sword drawn. The skeleton started to laugh even harder.

"You want to challenge me? Foolish mortal. I will kill you where you stand. Prepare to die!"

Link roared and charged at the skeleton with his sword drawn. The skeleton easily side stepped his attack. He grinned at Link.

"Too slow! You have to do better than that to defeat me! Don't you know anything about swordplay? Speed is everything! You do not have enough skill to even come close to hitting me! Come on! Try harder you weakling!"

Link focused and started to perform a spin attack. Faster and faster he spun towards the skeleton. He smiled broadly.

"Very impressive. I see you know how to perform the whirlwind spin. Come at me! See how well it does against me!"

Link got closer and closer and the skeleton jumped right over Link. When he was finished his spin, Link turned around in confusion.

"How are you dodging everything? I can't land a single hit on you!"

The skeleton nodded.

I know. In life, I was a very skilled swordsman. I am now in the service of the great Ganondorf. He calls me a Darknut. Now it's my turn. Are you ready for this, mortal?"

He reached behind him and brought forth a massive sword. The sword was so big, it made Link's master sword look like a toothpick. Link gasped in disbelief.

"Oh my god! How am I supposed to fight back when you have a sword that big? Brad, I need your help! I know you're afraid of that thing, but you gotta put your fears aside and help me!"

The darknut charged at Link with his massive sword drawn. Link dove to one side and barely missed being cleaved in two by the blade. The darknut growled.

"If you stay still, I promise I'll make your death a quick one!"

Link shook his head.

"No deal! I'm still going to win this somehow. Just you wait!"

The darknut laughed.

"That's too funny, you puny mortal! You have no hope of defeating me!"

Suddenly, Brad was beside him with his sword drawn.

"I'm here to help! You were right, Link. I can't be afraid right now."

He looked over at the three fairies. They seemed to be glowing very brightly. Were they practicing an attack of some sort? Brad tried to call them over.

"What are you guys doing? We could use some help!"

All three fairies flew over to Brad. Valerie explained to Brad exactly what they were doing.

"We were trying to focus our power together. I believe if the three of us focus, we may be able to unleash a powerful attack on that darknut. You and Link try to keep him busy while we concentrate."

Link scratched his head in confusion.

"Are you serious? How are we supposed to keep him busy? If we get too close to him, he'll cleave us in two with that giant sword!"

Navi was starting to get angry.

"You ARE the Hero of Time, remember? Think of something! If nothing else, at least dodge his attacks until we are ready! Try to be a hero instead of a wimp!"

The darknut was noticing that he was being ignored. He growled loudly.

"Enough talk! Now that everyone has said their prayers, pay attention to me! Time to finish this! Ganondorf will be very pleased."

He started to charge towards Link with his sword drawn. He looked over at Brad.

"I'm going to distract him! While I'm doing that, try to attack him from behind!"

Brad nodded.

"Gotcha, Link! .Please be careful! I don't want to see my bud cleaved in two okay?"

He gave Brad a thumbs up.

"No need to worry! Just try to find an opening in that armor."

Brad ran off in the opposite direction. Luckily, the darknut didn't see Brad as he ran behind him. Link turned to the fairies.

"Please try not to take too long with that focusing."

Navi was glowing bright white. She glared at him.

"Just go fight that thing and leave us alone okay? Hrmph!"

Link sighed and turned around. The darknut was closing in on him. Link swung his sword to attack. The blade clanged harmlessly off the darknut's breastplate. He grinned and took his massive blade and aimed it point down and went to bring it down on Link's head. Suddenly, he gasped in surprise. His breastplate fell off of his body. Brad was behind the darknut. He waved at Link.

"I managed to break the cord holding up his breastplate! Try to get some hits in."

The darknut laughed.

"So you managed to remove my breastplate? Do you really think that's going to help?"

He grinned and turned around and kicked Brad. The kick sent him flying across the room. He hit the wall on the other side of the room and collapsed in a heap. Link looked at him in anger.

"You bastard! I'm going to kill you for that!"

He attempted to swing his sword at the darknut's unprotected back. The sword didn't even leave a dent in the monster's bones. Suddenly, he heard Navi cry out.

"Link! Get the hell out of the way!"

Link and the darknut looked over. All three fairies were glowing very brightly and they seemed to have an attack ready. They were jolts of lightning coming from the fairies. Link jumped out of the way. The fairies unleashed their power. It was a very powerful electrical wave. It struck the darknut with a powerful force. It was so powerful, it shattered the darknut's bones and when it was over, all that remained of the once powerful darknut was a pile of ash. Link turned around and looked at the three fairies in awe.

"How the hell did you do that?

Valerie smiled.

"We fairies pack more power than you might think. We combined our powers and that was the result."

Suddenly, a big treasure chest appeared in the center of the room. Link gasped. He had almost forgotten about Brad! He ran over to the other side of the room with the three fairies following closely behind. He picked up Brad and shook him gently.

"Brad! Wake up, man. We beat the skeleton."

Brad didn't respond or move. Link gasped in shock. The kick from the skeleton didn't kill Brad, did it?


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 34**

The three fairies watched as Link tried to shake Brad gently into wakefulness. He still didn't budge. Tears began to form in his eyes. He didn't want Brad to die! They were very close friends and Link didn't want to lose him. He set him on the ground gently and wiped the tears from his eyes. He put his hands on his head.

"Brad...Please don't die on me!"

He looked over at the three fairies with tears still in his eyes. He noticed they were starting to cry as well. Valerie flew over to him.

"Link! Is he?"

Link wiped his eyes once more.

"Dead? I'm not sure, but I hope he isn't. Me and him are close friends. I need some time alone. I am going to open that big treasure chest. Can you guys keep an eye on Brad for me?"

Valerie nodded sadly.

"Of course we can. Brad will be just fine. Don't you worry."

Link sighed heavily and walked over to the treasure chest. What a depressing day. First, Charlie gets severely injured by a monstrous plant and now this. He cursed angrily. He shouldn't have put Brad in danger like that! He felt like his whole world was going to come crashing down on his head. He stood in front of the treasure chest and opened it up and peered inside. There was a bow and a quiver of arrows inside! He counted the arrows and there were thirty altogether. Suddenly, he heard Valerie cry out to him.

"Link! Come here quick! Brad is partially conscious!"

He quickly ran over with the bow and quiver still in his hands. Brad still had his eyes shut, but he was moving his arms around on the ground. Suddenly, Brad started to speak.

"Mido? What are you doing here? I killed you seven years ago! Where are Link and the others?"

Link strapped the bow and quiver to his back and looked at Valerie in confusion.

"What's going on? What's he talking about? Mido is dead!"

Valerie nodded sadly.

"Yes he is. I think Brad is really close to death. If he can see Mido, that's not good at all! We have to do something now or we are going to lose him!"

Brad started to talk again.

"You want to challenge me to a fight? Bring it on! I am now a skilled swordsman and a better leader than you ever were! You don't stand a chance!"

Link looked at Valerie.

"What do you suggest we do?"

Valerie called the other fairies over.

"Navi! Izzy! Come here please! We need to focus our energy again. I have a plan. Remember that heal spell you cast on me? We need to recreate that spell and make it powerful. VERY powerful."

Link nodded and smiled.

"This sounds promising. Are you sure it will work?"

Valerie shook her head.

"No I'm not, but it's worth a try though. If we do nothing, he's going to die."

She turned to Navi and Izzy.

"Are you two ready to focus your energy?"

They both nodded. Navi smiled at her.

"Ready to go! Let's do this!"

Valerie nodded.

"Very well. Stand back, Link!"

He stood off to one side as the three fairies began to focus their energies together. They began to glow bright white. Brad started to move around and spoke again.

"See what happens when you mess with me? Even here, I can still kick your ass!"

Link put his hands over his face.

"I really hope this works. I want my pal back."

Link looked over at the three fairies. They were glowing so brightly, it hurt Link's eyes when he looked at them. Suddenly, he heard Valerie shout out.

"Okay, guys! Let's do it! Release all your energy and point it at Brad's body!"

Suddenly, a big bright blast of light struck Brad. It completely engulfed him in a shaft of bright white light. He began to float inside it. Suddenly, he started to glow white as well. He remained floating inside the shaft of light for a few minutes. Shortly after, the light faded and Brad was dropped gently to the ground. He groaned loudly and stood up! He rubbed his eyes and looked around.

"Ugh what happened?"

Link cried out in excitement and ran over to Brad and gave him a hug.

"Brad! Thank god you're alright! I thought I would never see you again!"

He smiled at Link.

"It's good to see you again but where was I and why weren't you and the three fairies there? You should've seen it. Mido came out of nowhere and challenged me to a fight. First, he tried telling lies to me. He said I was dead and I was a weakling. I sure showed him! I decapitated him where he stood!"

Link looked at Brad and he was almost crying.

"You were almost dead, pal! Valerie, Navi and Izzy healed you with their combined power. It must have been enough to heal you completely. By the way, great job, guys! It worked. Brad is back with us."

He turned to see why they weren't responding and they weren't there. Link scratched his head in confusion.

"Where are you guys?"

He heard a very weak voice reply.

"Over here, Link!"

Link walked over to where they were focusing their energy and he found them lying on the ground. Valerie was holding herself up with one hand. She looked at Brad and smiled.

"So, my plan worked after all. It's good to see you alive and well. We used all of our energy to cast a very powerful healing spell on you."

Brad was still confused.

"So let me get this straight. I was almost dead? Is that why I couldn't find you guys?"

Valerie nodded weakly.

"Yes you were. You were sitting on Death's doorstep and that's probably why you saw Mido."

She turned to Link.

"You are going to have to carry us until we get our strength back. Navi and Izzy are already unconscious and I think I might..."

Valerie closed her eyes and fell down. Link picked up the three fairies and put them gently into his pocket.

"You guys rest up. Me and Brad will take care of this temple."

Brad smiled.

"Yeah we will! Let's find those ghosts and rescue Saria."

Brad and Link explored the room more and found another door. They walked through it and they found themselves in yet another large circular room. Link groaned aloud.

"Not another circular room! What are we going to fight this time?"

Suddenly, four lanterns appeared and began to float around the room. They had the flames from the first large room they entered back near the entrance. shortly after, the ghosts appeared and they all had a tight hold on the lanterns. Link reached behind him and grabbed his bow and a single arrow and he took aim at one of the ghosts and let an arrow fly. The arrow whizzed harmlessly by the ghost holding the blue flame. He cursed in anger.

"I am terrible at aiming. Have you ever used a bow before, Brad?"

Brad shook his head while he watched the ghosts floating around the room laughing at Link's puny attempt.

"No I haven't, but Dregal uses one and I watched him practicing one day. All you need to do is concentrate. Grab another arrow and pull back your string ready to fire. Then keep your eye locked on your target and let the arrow fly. Try it and you will see what I mean."

Link nodded.

"Right. I'll give it a try."

The headless ghost holding the blue lantern began to move around in circles. The ghost beside him was the one with hooks for hands. He was holding the orange lantern and laughing.

"Haha! My friend is making fun of you, mortal. You want to waste more arrows? Be my guest. Fire away! You couldn't hit us if you right in front of us!"

The ghost's insults made Link angry. He notched an arrow on his bow and sighted the ghost and followed his movements. He then let an arrow fly. The arrow struck the ghost holding the orange flame in the chest. He screamed in agony and disappeared. His lantern broke and the flame vanished. The other ghosts except for the headless ghost gasped in disbelief. The ghost holding the green flame cursed in anger. His twisted body shook in anger.

"That fool! He made the mortal angry! We have to dodge those arrows. He's getting better with that bow of his."

Brad jumped up and down in excitement.

"That was a great shot, Link! I knew you could do it if you concentrated. Now, try to aim for the headless ghost next."

He notched another arrow on his bow and took aim at the ghost. The ghost holding the green lantern saw what was going on and issued a warning to his friend.

"Hey, watch out! That kid is aiming at you."

The headless ghost started to float around in random patterns in an attempt to confuse Link. He noticed the ghost stopped floating in random patterns and began to float in circles again. Brad nudged him.

"There's one thing I don't understand about that ghost. How did it hear the other one if it has no head?"

Link looked at him and shrugged.

"I'm not sure and I don't really care. I just want to kill that thing."

Link shot an arrow at the ghost. It missed him by barley an inch. Then he planned ahead and shot an arrow above him, hoping he might float right into it's path. It worked like a charm. The clueless ghost floated up right in the path of the incoming arrow. It somehow screamed in agony and disappeared. The ghost holding the green lantern groaned.

"At this rate, we are all going to be destroyed by him. That's it! Watch out, mortal! I am going to kill you! To make sure you can't hit me, I'm going to make myself invisible!"

He started to fly towards Link. As he was moving, he turned himself invisible. Everything seemed to be going well for the ghost, but he forgot one thing. In his rush, he forgot to turn his lantern invisible! Link and Brad started laughing.

Link stopped laughing and taunted the ghost.

"I may not be able to see you, but I can still see you lantern, dumbass!"

Link notched another arrow to his bow and fired his arrow beside the ghost's lantern. The ghost realized what he had done, but it was too late. Her saw the arrow heading towards him.

"Oh dammit! Curse you, mortal!"

The arrow struck the ghost. He became visible again and the arrow was in the ghost's head. Before he went down, he pointed down at Link.

"You may be able to take us out easily, but the master of this temple won't be so easy I can assure you! Beware, mortal fool!"

Shortly after, he started to expand in size. He got bigger and bigger and suddenly, he exploded in a bright flash of green light. The ghost holding the purple lantern floated down in front of Link and Brad. Link smirked.

"Are you surrendering to me? It would be a wise move."

The ghost started to laugh.

"Hardly. You defeated the other ghosts without much difficulty. Now, I'm about be make your life a living hell!"

Suddenly, the ghost started to multiply into four! The four ghosts started to shoot balls of dark energy at Link and Brad. They barely dodged them. Brad turned to Link.

"How are we going to handle this ghost? The last three weren't even a challenge, but this one is using it's power to it's advantage. We have to find a way to take out this ghost. Any ideas?"

Link shrugged and pulled out the Master Sword.

"I'm not sure. I was think of a direct attack with my sword. Maybe I might be able to somehow hit one of these ghosts."

Link held his blade ready in front of him and faced the ghosts One of them shot yet another ball of dark energy at him. It missed him, but it reflected off his blade and struck the ghost! It vanished in a cloud of purple smoke. Suddenly, it reappeared! The ghost's laughing echoed in his ears.

"Did I forget to mention? Only one of them is the real me! The rest are simply copies. But just because they're copies doesn't mean they can't hurt you!"

Suddenly, the four ghosts shot a very huge ball of dark energy. Brad ran beside Link and drew his weapon and struck the ball the same time Link did. The ball broke into four smaller ones and were sent back to all four ghosts. Three vanished, but the real one didn't. It screamed and dropped to the floor.

"Very clever. Using my own power against me. Well? What are waiting for? Finish me off and make it quick!"

Link took his sword and raised it above his head and brought it down on the ghost's head with tremendous might. It screamed and exploded into a cloud of purple smoke. Brad turned to Link.

"Well done. Now I guess we go back to that lift. Those ghosts are all dead so those torches are hopefully bright once more."

Link and Brad retraced their steps and they easily made their way back to the lift. The torches were lit and the lift was open once again. They both stood on it and it went downward into the floor. Within minutes, they were in a circular room with a lot of paintings. For some odd reason, the paintings were all the same picture. The showed a small road leading up to a dark creepy looking house. The sky was pitch black and the moon was a bright yellow. They stepped off the lift and looked around. Brad shrugged his shoulders.

"Why are we here? There isn't anything in this room except for those creepy paintings."

Suddenly, there was a grunting noise coming from behind Link and Brad. They both turned around and gasped. A man a black armor was on top of a black horse with red eyes. He was holding a long magical wand in one hand. Brad nudged Link.

"Do you know this guy? He's looking right at you!"

Link nodded slowly.

"That's Ganondorf. He's the evil bastard that turned my friend Max against me."

He glared at Ganondorf.

"Where is Max? I want my friend back you psychopath! You are going to pay for what you did to him!"

Ganondorf looked at him and grinned.

"I am honored that you think I am my master, the great Ganondorf I am one of his creations. Behold!"

He waved his long wand in front of his face and his green face changed into a skull with glowing orange eyes. Brad and Link gasped. He laughed at their reactions.

"What's wrong? Did I scare you? I am phantom Ganon and by order of my master, I hear by sentence you to death, Hero of Time!"

He laughed and suddenly, his hose was floating! He aimed his wand at one of the pictures and shot it with dark energy. This created a portal and he flew right into it. Brad and Link gasped in disbelief as they saw him atop of his horse galloping up the road in the picture! Then he turned around and started heading the opposite direction. Within mere seconds, he was out of the painting. He waved his wand at the ground near Brad an Link and shot a bolt of electricity at them. Luckily, it missed them both. He laughed and flew into another painting. Brad turned to Link and groaned.

"We have to get rid of that horse! Once we do, I'm sure this will be a lot easier. I still can't believe he has the ability to go inside paintings! That's really creepy. I have an idea. Try to shoot arrows at the horse. It might frighten it enough to take off."

Link nodded. It was a good plan. With the horse out of the way, maybe he could corner Phantom Ganon and finish him off. He notched an arrow on his bow and watched the picture he was in and waited for him to come back out. He was almost out when suddenly, he turned around! Link looked over and he realized the phantom tricked him. He produces a copy and came out of another picture himself. Link shot the arrow at his horse. It hit it in the leg, but it wasn't enough to make the horse take off without it's rider. He flew into another picture. Link got another arrow ready and kept his eye on all the pictures. When the phantom turned around and started to head back, he was in two pictures. They were both side by side, but he had to choose one. One was a fake and the other was the real deal. He turned to Brad.

"Which picture should I choose? Left or right?"

Brad put his hand on his chin.

"I think he will emerge from the right painting. Try that one."

Link nodded and chose the right painting. The phantom was very close now. He exited from the right painting! Link shot an arrow at the horse. It reared and sent the phantom flying off of it and it galloped away back into the painting. The phantom landed on the floor. He started to float in the air with the long wand in his hand. He shot a ball of electrical energy at Link. He gasped and dodged it. Brad nudged him.

"Don't you remember that ghost? Send his attack back with your sword!"

"Right! Thanks for reminding me, Brad. I'm gonna give it a try!"

The phantom launched another electrical ball of energy at Link. He swung his sword at it and sent it back. The phantom retaliated by hitting it with his wand. Overtime, the ball of energy started to move faster. Link missed a swing and ended up getting hit in the arm with the electrical energy. He groaned in pain and looked at Brad.

"He hit my sword arm! Can you take over for me?"

Brad nodded.

"Sure thing, pal. I'll show him a thing or two!"

The phantom sent a ball of electrical energy at Brad. He easily hit it and sent it back. The phantom sent it back as well. This continued for five minutes. Neither Brad or the phantom missed a swing. After awhile, the phantom was getting tired. He went to swing and ended up missing it and it hit him in the forehead. Brad ran over and swung at the phantom's forehead. He groaned in pain. After a few minutes, he rose into the air. Brad was breathing heavily. That took a lot of energy. He looked over at Link. He was flexing his sword arm.

"Are you good to go again? I'm starting to feel tired."

Link nodded.

"I think so. My arm is a little tingly, but it feels better."

He walked up in front of the phantom. He grinned at the Hero of Time.

"So, are you ready to get shocked again? My shock spell will wear you down bit by bit and that's when I will make my killing blow."

Link glared at him.

"I'm not going to give you a chance to carry out your empty threats! Let's finish this!"

The phantom laughed.

"So be it. After I'm done with you, I'll take care of your short friend. My lord commands it!"

He launched another ball of electricity at Link. He swung his sword and sent it back. The phantom returned it with a swing of his wand. Suddenly, Brad was beside link swinging at the ball of electricity. Link glanced at him quickly.

"Brad! What are you doing?"

Brad grinned at him.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm giving you a hand. Nobody talks to us like that. I'm going to make him eat his words when this is over. I'm not about to stand by and watch him kill you. We're best friends to the end! Let's rock!"

Link and Brad worked together to send the balls of energy back to the phantom. He was having a hard time keeping up to the two friends. The next time it came back, Link and Brad both hit it at the same time. This sent it flying at a blinding speed towards the phantom. He tried to swing, but it was far too fast to hit. He missed and it hit him in the forehead. They walked over together and swung their swords at the phantoms head. Finally, the phantom had taken too much damage and collapsed on the ground in a heap. His lifeless body began to float in the air. Suddenly, there was a booming voice echoing around the room. It belonged to the REAL Ganondorf!

"Well done, kids! It seems you two have gained some skill. But you have defeated only my phantom. I won't fall as easy as that worthless creation did! By the way Link, Your friend Max has been most useful in helping me with my evil plots. It seems I have come to rely on him more and more these days. You understand if you never see him normal again don't you. Of course you do! See you soon, kid! Hahaha!"

Link was striking a rock with his sword in anger.

"You bastard! I want my friend back! You will pay dearly for taking my friend away from me! Are you even listening?!"

Brad put a hand on Link's arm.

"Calm down, pal. He's gone and he can't hear you. Let's find Saria."

Link was still angry. He held up his sword and stared at the blade closely.

"Some day, Brad. I'm going to send this blade right into Ganondorf's heart! When we meet in battle, I'm going to give him a fight he'll never forget!"

Suddenly, a portal appeared around them and they were transported away.

When Link opened his eyes, he realized he was back in the Sacred Realm. He gasped. Saria was standing on the green pad! Brad opened his eyes and looked around

"Link, where are we?"

Saria answered for him.

"Hello, Brad. Welcome to the Sacred Realm. You two defeated the phantom. That enabled me to awaken as the Sage of the Forest."

Brad turned around and gasped.

"Saria! What are you doing here? You say you're a sage? That's awesome! Now, let's go back to Kokiri Village."

Saria smiled and shook her head slowly.

"I'm afraid I can't, Brad. I have to stay here as the Sage of the Forest. Link, you've grown into a handsome man. But you're not sure why are you? I'm sure you will find out eventually. I want you to take Valerie with you. She will be most useful in your quest."

Link gasped. He had forgotten about the fairies in his pocket! He reached into his pocket and pulled them out. Valerie stood up and stretched.

"I feel much better now. Thank you for keeping us in your pocket, Link. It reminded me of a bed."

Navi stood up as well and looked at Link.

"That was kinda cozy."

She looked at Brad and smiled.

"I'm glad our spell worked on you It's good to see you up and about."

Brad smiled.

"Likewise"

Finally, Izzy woke up. As soon as she saw Brad, she was ecstatic.

"Oh my god! You're okay! Thank god! I thought you were lost to us forever."

Brad shook his head.

"Nope. I'm still alive and kicking thanks to you guys."

Valerie looked around.

"What is this place?"

Brad smiled.

"This is the Sacred Realm apparently. Turn around, Valerie. I'm sure it will surprise you."

She turned around and she was looking at Saria! She laughed aloud.

"We finally found you! Now we can go home together."

Link shook his head.

"She can't come with us, Valerie. She is the Sage of the Forest. She has to stay here."

Valerie gasped.

"No way! After all that, you can't come with us?"

Saria shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. I want you to go with Link and his friends on their quest. You will be a great help to them like you once were to me."

Valerie sighed.

"If you insist. It was nice to see you again, Saria. Even if it was only for a short time"

Saria turned to Link.

"Now, I want you to take this medallion. Good luck on your quest, Link!"

She handed him a bright green medallion. Like the gold medallion, it had the triforce symbol on it and on the other side, it had some other weird symbols. Suddenly, a bright white light surrounded Link and his friends. Within seconds, they found themselves back in the Kokiri Village. Fado noticed them appear and ran over to greet them.

"Hello, everyone! Where did you all come from?"

Link smiled.

"It's a long story. What matters is we're back and we've cleared out the Forest Temple."

Fado scratched her head.

"Okay. That's good news. What about Saria?"

Brad answered for him.

"She is the Sage of the Forest. She had to stay behind."

Fado groaned.

"I wanted to see her again though. Oh well. As long as she's alright. Oh by the way, Brad. I've been taking care of everything in your absence. Everyone in the tribe seems to be happy. Are you going to take back your command now?"

Brad shook his head.

"No. I'm not ready to do that. I am going to travel with Link and his friends. I want you to be chief from now on"

Fado was taken aback.

"You...You want me to be permanent chief here? That's such a huge responsibility."

Brad patted her on the back.

"I have faith in you. I know you won't let me or the tribe down. By the looks of things, you've done a remarkable job so far"

Brad looked around the village. There were kokiri gathering firewood, harvesting fruit and vegetables and even cleaning around the houses. He smiled at her.

"I couldn't have done a better job if I wanted to. You will do just fine."

Fado smiled.

"So be it. Thank you very much, Brad. I won't let you down."

Link stretched his arms.

"Well, I guess we should head back to Kakariko. Let's go, guys.

They made their way through the Kokiri Forest and out to Hyrule Field. Suddenly, they heard a noise behind them. They turned around and Ralph was standing there. He looked frightened. Link walked over to him.

"Ralph? Is everything alright?"

He shook his head.

"Everything couldn't be more worse. Ganondorf and Vaati managed to breach the barrier around Kakariko. They went into the Hyrule Resistance building and attacked everyone. Then, they went to the infirmary and captured your friend Charlie and took him away. We tried to fight them, but they were far too strong."

Link grabbed him by his arm.

"What? My friend Charlie was captured? Do you know where they are now?"

Ralph shook his head.

"No. As soon as they got Charlie, they disappeared. It's almost as if they attacked the Hyrule Resistance building just to get to Charlie."

Link turned to his friends.

"We gotta get to Kakariko right way and sort out this mess! I don't want Charlie to end up like Max!"


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 35**

Charlie awoke in a daze. He looked around and he realized he was in a dimly lit room. He had no idea where he was. The last thing he could remember was helping Link with the giant plant. He remembered pushing him out of the way and taking the attack that was meant for him in the back. What happened after that was unclear to him. He noticed that there was a small window behind him. He got up and he realized that his back wasn't hurting at all. He turned around and looked out the window. The sky was a dull grey. He looked down and gasped. Down below, he could see a massive orange river of liquid. He assumed the liquid was molten lava. He turned away and scratched his head in confusion. Where was Link, Brad, Navi and Izzy? He looked at the walls of the room. There was a huge picture hanging on the far right wall. He could just make it out. It was a picture of Ganondorf and Vaati. Both were smiling evilly. Beside the picture was a huge door. He didn't bother to look at the door. He assumed that it would be locked. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him.

"You're finally awake. What do you think of my room?"

He turned around and he was face to face with Vaati. He looked at the picture and smiled.

"My father created that picture with his magic. I think my eyes really stand out."

Charlie backed away nervously.

"What do you want from me?"

Vaati grinned at him.

"I want you to join our family of evil. You would make an excellent addition."

Charlie glared at him with hatred.

"I'll never join you, you evil freak!"

He ran over to the door and tried opening it by pushing and pulling on it. Vaati smiled.

"Don't bother. It's tightly locked. Listen to me, Charlie. I'm not giving you a choice. You're going to join us whether you want to or not!"

He backed away nervously towards the window.

"No! Leave me alone you bastard! Max. You know this is wrong. Do something to stop it!"

Vaati laughed evilly.

"I'm afraid Max won't answer back. I know you've felt alone since he was captured and turned into me. But if you join me, we can be friends again! Come on, you'll love it!"

Vaati raised his hands above his head and created a ball of dark energy and cast it at Charlie's body. He screamed in agony.

"Soon enough, you will be evil just like me! Link and his pathetic friends won't be able to do anything to stop us!"

Ganondorf was on his way to Vaati's room. He was going to chanel his energy into Charlie and create another evil being. When he got up to his door, he heard screaming inside. He rapped on the door.

"Vaati! What's going on in there? Open this door now!"

The screaming subsided and the door slowly opened and Ganondorf walked in. He looked over at Charlie on his hands and knees on the floor and then he turned to Vaati.

"What were you doing to him? You weren't trying to chanel your energy inside him were you? Tell me the truth!"

He lowered his head slowly.

"Yes, father. I'm sorry."

Ganondorf glared at him.

"How many times have I told you before not to try that by yourself? If you don't do it right, you will end up draining all of your evil energy and you won't be Vaati anymore. You will be Max again. Now, I want you to leave this room for a while. I am going to chanel my evil power inside him. Just wait outside and I will call you in when I'm finished. I guarantee you won't recognize him when I'm done with him."

Vaati was getting ready to leave when Charlie raised his head and looked at Ganondorf, a glint of rage burning in his eyes.

"I hope Link bashes your head in and kills you when he finds you!"

Ganondorf and Vaati looked at each other and they both burst out laughing. Ganondorf wiped tears of merriment from his eyes.

"That was a good one, kid. He has no chance of getting close enough to me to do anything like that. Wait outside, Vaati. I'll call you in when this is over. I need complete concentration."

Vaati walked out and closed the door and Ganondorf went to work. He cast a ball of dark energy at Charlie and it knocked him unconscious. He then began to use his dark powers to reshape Charlie's body. He made him shorter and made him look like a shadow. He needed something else to make him unique. Yes that's it! He thought of a perfect idea and continued dabbling in his dark magic.

About twenty minutes later, Ganondorf called Vaati in.

"Hey, son! Come in here! I'm finished."

Vaati walked in and gasped when he saw him.

"But he looks just like..."

Ganondorf cut him off.

"I know who he looks like, idiot! I'm the one who created him! I want you to give him a tour of the castle. Get to know each other again. He will be your new brother! After that, take him to Kakariko and wait for Link and show him what I did to his friend! That will really tear him up inside! Hahaha! By the way, I'm going to let you think up a name for him. I'm too busy right now. Let me know if you have chosen one later."

Vaati started laughing as well.

"What a great plan! What are you going to do while I do this?"

Ganondorf smiled.

"I'm glad you asked! I'm off to Death Mountain to teach those stupid gorons not to refuse my terms of surrender ever again. I'm going to capture the gorons and then I am going to resurrect that ancient dragon Volagia and feed it those dumb shortsighted gorons as a warning to any other races that dare to defy me!"

Vaati nodded.

"Good luck, father. I hope all goes well with your task."

Ganondorf smiled and patted him on the back.

"Good luck to you too, my son. Make link feel very angry and frustrated.

Link and Brad finally made their way back to Kakariko Village. Link was feeling sad. Now that Charlie was captured, he was starting to get stressed out. He didn't want Charlie to share the same fate Max did. Ralph turned to him.

"I know you must feel angry at the resistance for not defending your friend.

you mustn't lash out at them too much. They tried their hardest, but they were no match for the power of Vaati and Ganondorf. Luckily, nobody got killed, but most of the resistance got injured in one way or another. I'll take you to the infirmary."

Ralph led Brad and Link to the infirmary. He then walked back outside to patrol the village. Impa was lying on a bed with a bandaged head. Beside her was Ralis. He had a makeshift bandage on his left foot. Viscen was sitting on a chair in between the two. He had a sling on his right arm and a big bandage just below his shoulder. Impa noticed Link walk in and she sat up on her bed and looked at him.

"It's good to see you again. How goes the mission? Did you save Saria?"

Link nodded and sat down beside her.

"Yeah I did. Turns out, she was the Sage of the Forest. She told us she had to stay in the Sacred Realm. I also now have the support of the Kokiri. I heard what happened here. How did Charlie get taken so easily?"

Impa groaned and put a hand to her head.

"Ugh! It feels like a goron punched me in the head! We tried to fend off Vaati and Ganondorf's attacks, but they shot dark energy at us and knocked us out of the way. I tried casting a few spells of my own at Ganondorf, but he just laughed at me and cast a fireball at my head. Ralis tried to defend me, but he was stabbed in the foot by Vaati. Afterwards, Viscen and Ganondorf engaged in a sword fight. Ganondorf won the fight and sliced Viscen's arm quite deep near the shoulder joint. He's very lucky to have his arm left. Anju told him earlier today that he's not going to lose it. When I get feeling better, I'm going to go get that magical barrier back up that was surrounding this village."

Link shook his head, hardly able to contain his anger towards the resistance. He glared at Impa.

"So you're telling me that nobody could stop Vaati and Ganondorf? I thought the resistance was supposed to be tough! What's gonna happen if we get attacked by a large army?"

Viscen rose from his bed and pointed at Link with his good arm.

"Now what kind of talk is that? We tried to defend your friend. What gives you the right to lash out at us like that, lad?"

Impa rose from her bed and walked up behind Link and spun him around so they were both face to face.

"Listen to me, Link! Don't you DARE talk like that about the resistance! If I hear you talk like that again, you're out of the resistance. We don't want or need that kind of attitude! Besides, you haven't exactly been able to take down Vaati either have you? I was talking to Charlie earlier and he told me you spared his life twice! Why didn't you kill him?"

Link rolled his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure you know why. He used to be my friend Max remember?"

Impa sighed and put a hand on her bandaged head.

"You have to face the facts, Link. There may be a chance you will never see him normal again"

Link sighed heavily. Navi turned to him.

"That's what I was trying to tell you earlier, Link. The next time you weaken him, maybe you should kill him."

Brad stood up and looked at Navi.

"I don't think that's a good idea at all. He's still our pal Max somewhere in there. If we can somehow help him, I'd rather try that first before we consider killing him. That just doesn't seem right. It's not his fault he's evil after all. Ganondorf is to blame."

Impa smiled at Brad.

"That was very well said, Brad. I'm not sure what to do at this point. Our first priority should be rescuing Charlie from their grasp. Any ideas?"

Shortly after Impa spoke, Ralph walked in. He was gasping for breath. He looked at Link.

"Vaati has returned and he is asking for you. He also has a shadow being that looks very similar to you."

Link groaned.

"What does he want now? Who is this shadow being?"

Ralph shrugged.

"I have no idea, but you better follow me quickly! Don't worry. If they try to attack, I may be able to teleport us out of here."

Impa stood up.

"You're not going out there without me. Lead on, Ralph."

Viscen groaned.

"Good luck, guys. I won't be much help with my arm like this."

Ralis groaned.

"My foot is hurting badly. Don't turn your back on them, guys. They might stab you in the back if given the chance."

Link and Impa followed Ralph to the area where Vaati was standing with an unknown shadow being. Link gasped in shock. It had bright red glowing eyes and with closer inspection, it looked just like him! Vaati grinned at Link.

"Hello, Link. I'm surprised you survived the encounter with phantom Ganon. My brother here really wants to meet you. I see you noticed how he looks very similar to you. That's because my father created him with you in mind. He is a evil more darker version of you."

Vaati gasped and turned to the shadow.

"I just thought of a perfect name for you, brother. You will be known as Dark Link! Can you guess who this used to be, Link? Hah! Hah! Hah!"

Link gasped in shock.

"No way! That's not...Charlie...Is it?"

Vaati nodded.

"You got it right the first time! He is my new brother and me and him are going to wreak havoc across this land!"

Link was enraged. Now both of his friends were evil! He glared at Vaati.

"You bastard! You took Charlie away on me and turned him into THAT? Ganondorf 's days are numbered!"

Dark Link smiled.

"Correction. YOUR days are numbered!"

He roared and ran towards Link with his Evil Master Sword drawn. The whole blade was shrouded in shadow. Link quickly drew his own sword and parried his attack. He met Dark Link's gaze and shouted at him.

"Charlie! It's me, Link! Snap out of it! You've been brainwashed!"

Dark Link smiled at held his sword above his head and attempted to bring it Crashing down on Link's head. Suddenly, Link heard a cry.

"Link! Get out of the way!"

Brad came charging out of nowhere towards Dark Link. He smiled and easily blocked Brad's attack and swung his sword at him. With some quick and skillful moves, Brad parried the attack and ended up disarming him. He held his blade close to Dark Link's throat.

"I know you're Charlie on the inside, but I will kill you if you give me no choice. I want you and Vaati to clear out of here!"

Dark Link looked over at Vaati. Vaati nodded.

"I'm coming to save you, brother!"

He held out his hand to form a bal of dark energy. Brad yelled at him.

"Go ahead! Attack me! The second you do, I'll slit his throat! It's your choice!"

Vaati smirked.

"You wouldn't do such a thing knowing it's still Charlie on the inside. Don't make empty threats!"

It was a standoff. They both stood there. Vaati with a ball of energy ready to cast and Brad with a sword near Dark Link's throat. Link called over to Brad.

"Brad! Don't do it! There's gotta be another way!"

Brad shouted over to Link.

"I'm not sure what to do here. The second I release Dark Link, Vaati is going to blast me."

Vaati smiled.

"I'm not going to blast you, Brad, but I'm going to blast Link if you don't release him now!"

Dark Link started to growl in anger. Suddenly, he started to glow a dark black. Brad gasped and let him go. It didn't make sense to him, but Dark Link was hot to the touch! He floated into the air and he glared at Brad.

"So, you threatened to kill me, eh? Well I got something for you. Say goodbye, Brad!"

Suddenly he held out his hands and a huge beam of Dark energy shot out and was heading in Brad's direction. He screamed in panic and dove out of the way in just the nick of time. The beam left a very large hole in the ground. Vaati smiled in admiration.

"Very impressive, brother! We have to tell Father about your power. You may even be stronger than me."

He looked at Link.

"You're getting off lucky today. We aren't going to attack you, but this isn't over! Once we tell our father about the destructive power Dark Link possesses, we will return."

Suddenly, they both disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Link, Impa and Ralph ran over to Brad. Link put a hand on his shoulder.

Are you okay, Brad?"

He looked at Link and nodded.

"Yeah I'm okay. Maybe I shouldn't have hesitated with Dark Link. I should have killed him."

Link gasped in shock. How could he say such a thing after defending Vaati earlier?

"He's still Charlie remember? I can't believe you almost killed him!"

Brad sighed.

"Maybe I was wrong before. Maybe we should kill them if we have a chance. I know it doesn't seem right, but if we don't kill them, they are going to kill us. Do you think they will hesitate if they get a chance to kill us?"

Link thought for a minute and shook his head.

"I know they wouldn't. I hate to say it, but maybe you're right."

Brad nodded sadly.

"You don't have to decide right away, but think about it the next time you spare Vaati's life. In his current state, he wouldn't hesitate to kill you at all."

Impa nodded.

"He's got a point, Link. He's evil and while you may have reawakened Max temporarily, there's no telling if he will ever be Max again completely. I'm going back to the infirmary. When you're ready, I have another assignment for you. You may have noticed Argus's absence when this all happened. Something bad has happened at Death Mountain and he returned home. Before you arrived, a messenger told me that all of the gorons except Darunia and Argus were captured by Ganondorf. I want you to go to Death Mountain and see if you can help rescue them. And watch out for Vaati and Dark Link. Something tells me they weren't lying when they told us that they would be back!"

Link nodded.

"Understood. We will set out for Death mountain immediately."

Impa smiled. He was such a reliable guy.

"Thank you, Link. Good luck on your mission."


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 36**

Vaati and Dark Link returned to the castle. Vaati walked around through the castle with Dark Link following closely behind. He didn't hear any noise, so he assumed that their father wasn't back from his work. He sighed and turned to his brother.

"Father hasn't returned yet. Follow me. We will wait in my room until he has returned."

Vaati lead Dark Link to his room. They both sat down on Vaati's bed. Dark Link grinned and turned to Vaati.

"Tell me the truth. Did I do a good job back there?"

He simply smiled and patted him on the back.

"Are you kidding? I haven't been able to unleash that kind of power yet and I've been evil a lot longer than you have. I think you will do just fine with me and father. Just listen to what we tell you to do."

Suddenly, there was a strange noise coming from outside Vaati's room. He turned to Dark Link.

"I think father has returned. Let's go see if all went well."

They opened the door and walked out into the hall. Ganondorf was standing there grinning evilly. He turned to Vaati.

"So, how is our new recruit? Is he powerful enough to destroy Link?"

He nodded.

"Yes, father. He almost killed the one named Brad. He left a big indent in the earth from his shadow ball. We didn't kill him or Link though. I wanted to tell you about his power, so I let them go for now."

Ganondorf groaned.

"Why the hell did you do that for? You should have destroyed him while you had the chance!"

Vaati bowed his head.

"We failed you. I'm sorry, father."

Ganondorf sighed.

"I guess it's not a total loss. At least we know he is powerful now. I managed to teleport those thick headed gorons into the Fire Temple. They were already in cages before they could figure out what happened. Stupid creatures! I also resurrected Volvagia the ancient dragon. I plan to feed it all the gorons as a warning to any other races that dare to defy me."

Ganondorf laughed evilly. Vaati smiled in admiration.

"That's great news, father. Is there anything we can do to help you?"

After his laughter subsided, he turned to him and smiled.

"Why yes there is. You two can help me feed the dragon later. Imagine all those stupid gorons pleading for their pathetic lives Doesn't that sound fun?"

Dark Link laughed.

"That sounds like a lot of fun! Lead me to it, father!"

Ganondorf walked over to him and patted him on the back.

"That's the spirit! All three of us will make the gorons extinct! But we are going to wait for a while though. The dragon needs time to rebuild his strength. I just resurrected him about twenty minutes ago."

Vaati Cautioned his father.

"We might not want to wait too long. What if Link and Brad end up defeating that dragon?"

Ganondorf smiled.

"I'm one step ahead of you, my son. I've put a powerful enchantment on the door where the dragon is. Unless Link is a skilled magic user, he isn't getting in. I've also blocked the path to the dragon as well."

Vaati smiled.

"It's seems like you took care of everything. Nice going, father. I'd be happy to help you later on."

Ganondorf nodded and grinned evilly.

"That's good to hear, son. Come over here you two. I want to discuss my plans with you. We will eliminate the gorons before anybody can stop us."

Link, Brad and the three fairies exited Kakariko Village and continued their journey towards Goron City. Suddenly, Link heard somebody calling his name from behind. He turned around and Impa was running towards him.

"Link! I just noticed something after you left. You never seem to have a shield with you. Why is that?"

Link shrugged and dismissed the idea.

"A shield just gets in my way. I still got the shield I had when I was younger, but it's way too small for me now."

Impa glared at him.

"Shields aren't supposed to get in your way, Link. They are meant to protect you. As the leader of the resistance, I'm ordering you to get a shield and use it. It may save your life one day. I'm going to give you my shield and I want you to give that smaller shield to Brad. Death Mountain is a dangerous place and you could get hurt without one."

Link sighed and reached behind and pulled the small shield off his back and handed it to Brad. He then took the shield from Impa's hands and strapped it onto his back. Impa shook her head.

"I hope you're not planning on leaving it strapped to your back. I want you to use it to defend yourself. Well, good luck guys. Stay safe and try not to get killed okay?"

Link threw Impa a salute.

"Will do, ma'am! Thank you for the help!"

Impa turned around and walked back to the village. When she was out of sight, Link turned to Brad.

"What is her problem? I know she is the leader of the resistance and all, but I'm the Hero of Time and she treats me like an amateur."

Brad smiled and reached up and patted Link on the back.

"I know what you mean. It's her job to make sure recruits know what they're doing. I wouldn't let it get to you."

Navi flew in front of Link's face.

"Let's face it, Link. You needed to be told about a shield because after you suddenly stopped using one, you've had a couple close calls with enemies. I'm not trying to side with Impa, but maybe she had a point about you using a shield. It's better than dying right?"

Link nodded slowly.

"Yeah I guess you're right. I just got a lot on my mind right now and I don't think I'm listening to reason. First Ganondorf took Max away from me and now Charlie. Who's he going to take next? You, Brad?"

Brad laughed at the idea.

"If he tries to put a hand on me, I'll cut it off. Besides, I'd rather die than join those guys anyway and that's not going to happen. I wouldn't worry. We will figure this mess out eventually. You should stop worrying. What do you think, Izzy?"

Izzy was perched on Brad's shoulder. She giggled at Link.

"You gotta chill out, Link. You may have lost your friends to evil, but worrying about them isn't going to bring them back. You gotta think positive. We will figure out a way to help them. Now stop worrying about them, you silly human."

Link smiled at Izzy's comment.

"That's the first time I've been called a silly human. Okay you crazy fairy. Let's continue to Goron City before Valerie starts to lecture me."

Valerie was flying overhead when she heard the comment. She flew down right beside Link's right ear.

"I heard that! Less talk more walk, grasshopper!"

Link turned around and faced Valerie with a grin on his face.

"What did you just call me? I'm not a grasshopper!"

He looked over at Brad and he burst out laughing.

"That's a good nickname for you, Link. You're wearing all green and you patter about as you walk."

Link pointed at Brad and started laughing.

"But you're wearing green clothes too, buddy. What does that make you?"

Brad grinned.

"A kokiri that knows how to walk properly!"

Everyone burst out laughing as they made their way towards Goron City.

After a few minutes of walking up the steep trail, they finally made it to Goron City. They entered cautiously in case enemies were nearby. It was very dark and the entire city was lit by only one torch. Link looked around in the dimly lit cave and whispered to Brad.

"I think the coast is clear. Now we need to find Argus."

"Don't be so sure", he whispered back. "What is that big figure ahead?"

Link turned to where Brad was pointing and in the dark, he could barely make out a big dark figure. Link stepped on something and it made a loud _Snap! _Suddenly, the dark figure started to get closer. It roared at them in a very loud voice.

"Intruders! What have you bastards done to my tribe? I see you have some fairies to help you do your dirty work! You will pay dearly for your treachery! I will crush you!"

They immediately recognized the figure as a goron because it curled into a ball and began to roll towards them. Link and Brad jumped out of the way of the rolling goron. Navi flew over to Link.

"I know that voice! I think that's Argus! He must not recognize us in the dark. Either that or he's too enraged to pay attention."

Link nodded.

"It's good we found Argus, but how do we stop him? He's a lot stronger than me or even Brad. How do we bring him back to his senses?"

"Navi stammered an answer.

"I-I-I Don't know! I wish I could remember how I did that move with that scream... Wait that's it! It a defensive attack. I want you to let Argus roll towards me. If I'm in danger, it might work again!"

Link was uncertain. It was a very risky strategy.

"Are you sure? What if you get crushed? I'm about to let you take that chance!"

Brad frowned.

"Do you have a better idea? We need to find a way to stop Argus! I hope she doesn't get crushed either, but we have to try something!"

Valerie flew over beside Navi.

"I will shield her so she doesn't get hurt. We gotta hurry! He's turning around and rolling towards us again!"

Link nodded.

"Okay. Go ahead. Just be careful though."

Izzy smiled.

"Wow, Valerie. You're a very helpful addition to our team. Good luck you two!

Navi and Valerie flew to where Argus was rolling to. Valerie concentrated and created a shield around herself and Navi. They could both see Argus getting closer and closer. Valerie looked at Navi.

"Okay! Do it now!"

Navi looked at Argus and screamed. Suddenly, Argus started to glow green. He stopped in his tracks and uncurled. Link sighed. Her plan actually worked, despite how risky it was. Argus looked around in confusion. Link walked in front of him and waved his arms.

"Wait, Argus! It's us! Link, Brad, Navi, Izzy and Valerie! We aren't invaders!"

Argus scratched his head in confusion.

"No way! I was attacking you guys? I'm very sorry. I guess my anger took over and I just thought you were enemies. I didn't mean to flip out on you. Hey, Link! You can come out. They're friends!"

Link looked at him in confusion.

"I know they're friends, Argus. What are you talking about?"

Argus started to laugh.

"I wasn't talking about you, brother! I was talking about this guy."

Argus turned around and a small goron rolled up beside him. He introduced the small goron to everybody.

"I want you to meet this goron. He is named Link."

The goron bowed.

"It's an honor to meet you, sir. Dad has told me all about you."

Link started to laugh.

"Say what? Who named a goron after me?"

Argus grinned at him.

"Darunia did. He found a wife about four years ago and they gave birth to a tiny goron and Darunia named him after the legendary dodongo slayer which is you! Don't you feel a little honored?"

Link smiled and shook his head.

"Yeah of course I do. But you never told me Darunia had a wife back at the resistance headquarters."

Argus nodded sadly.

"I know and with good reason. She died two years ago after a rather harsh winter. It started out as a harmless sniffle. But then it turned into a very bad illness. We tried every herb we could find but nothing seemed to work. We even took her to Anju in Kakariko and even she couldn't find anything to help her get better. When she died, Darunia took it very hard. He loved her and it tore him up inside when she died. Darunia went out searching for clues as to where our people may have been taken to. When he returns, please don't mention his wife."

Link sniffed. What a sad story.

"I wouldn't even consider it. I feel sorry for him. What a burden to carry around.

Argus smiled.

"That's good to hear, Link. By the way, why are you here? Did Impa send you to help me?"

Link nodded.

"She did. I'll do whatever I can to lend a hand."

Argus patted him on the back.

That's the spirit, friend. When we figure out where the gorons are, you and me are going to rescue them."

Suddenly, another goron came rolling into Goron City and uncurled. It was Darunia! Link laughed aloud.

"Darunia! Long time no see. How have you been?"

He looked very close at the human. Suddenly, he backed away and gasped.

"Is that you, Link? It's been seven years since we've seen each other. How are you?"

"I'm doing well. I heard you guys ran into some recent problems. And I'm here to help."

Darunia patted him on the back.

"That's great to hear. I found out where the gorons are being held. They are being held in the Fire Temple. Ganondorf and his two spawns of evil are planning on feeding them to the recently resurrected dragon Volvagia. There is an entrance to the fire temple inside the mountain."

He looked at Link and Brad.

"You two won't be able to handle the heat in those clothes. I have some fire proof suits I had made for travelers that want to explore the mountain interior. Argus will go and get them for you. I am going to head into the temple ahead of you and see if I can catch Ganondorf before he gets far into the temple. After you get your suits, head into the mountain There is a statue in my room that I will move. There is a secret entrance into the mountain behind it. I will see you in the Fire Temple!"

Darunia ran off towards his room, while Argus went another direction to get the fire proof suits. Link was ready to help out. One way or another, Ganondorf, Vaati and Dark Link had to be stopped!


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 37**

Link, Brad and the three fairies waited in Darunia's room for Argus to return with the heat proof suits. Navi started to think of something important. She turned to Valerie and Izzy and voiced her concerns.

"I just thought of something, guys. Those fireproof suits may protect Link and Brad in there, but what about us? I remember the Dodongo's Cavern seven years ago. It was very hot in places. But now we are going into the Fire Temple and the heat will likely be intense. What's going to protect us?"

Izzy frowned and shook her head.

"You're absolutely right, Navi. We may have to stay behind unless we can think of a way to make ourselves heat proof. Valerie, you know more about fairy magic than the two of us put together. Is there a spell to make ourselves heat proof?"

Valerie sighed heavily.

"No I don't believe so. However, there is a Great fairy that lives in the mountain crater. We could try asking her if we make it there real quick."

Link and Brad walked over to see what the three fairies were discussing. Link stepped forward.

"Hey, Navi. What are you three talking about?"

Navi looked at Link and sighed.

"Link, if we don't think of something, we will have to stay behind. We have no way to make ourselves heat proof. We are afraid the heat will be too much for us."

Link was uncertain.

"We could use you three in there. Don't you know a spell that might help, Valerie?"

She shook her head sadly.

"Alas I don't, but I may know who might. There is a Great Fairy living in the mountain crater. She will likely have a solution to our problem."

Link paused. He seemed to remember someone else mentioning a fairy living in Death Mountain Crater...Yes! Shiek had told Link earlier about a fairy that may be able to help Navi perfect her defensive spell so it could break the evil hold on Max Permanently! He looked over at Navi.

"Yeah. I will find the fairy in there and explain your situation to her. I also want to ask her about perfecting that spell of yours so it can erase the evil inside of Max and Charlie."

Valerie sighed and shook her head.

"I don't think that's possible, Link. There is only two ways I know of that may release the evil inside of those two. The first way is killing the source. If you kill Ganondorf, they might return to normal. The second way you won't like. It's killing Vaati and Dark Link. I know how you feel about doing that, but you must understand they are trying to kill you. If you get the opportunity, I would kill them. Sorry, Link."

Link sighed and looked down at the ground. Then he raised his head and looked at Valerie.

"What about Shiek? He told me the Great Fairy in Death Mountain might be able to help me. He told me She might be able to show Navi the true power of that spell. I'm not about to admit defeat yet."

Izzy spoke up.

"Link, I have a feeling Shiek told you that to cheer you up. I may be wrong, but go and see for yourself. I know I probably won't convince you otherwise."

Suddenly, Argus walked in carrying two bundles of clothes, one a lot smaller than the other. He handed one to Link and the other to Brad.

"Try these on. They should fit you."

As they were trying them on, Argus explained the origin of the clothes.

"These suits were created about five years ago after travelers heard some crazy rumors about there being rare treasure buried somewhere in the crater. We told them it was unsafe to enter because of the heat, but they wouldn't listen and they entered anyway. They got serious burns from the heat and blamed us for it. So shortly after they left, we began to create these heat proof suits. We coated the fabric with a special heat resistant wax called Kevlar wax. We tested them out on a few travelers and they told us they couldn't feel the heat at all through them. So now that you have the suits on, how do you feel?"

Link and Brad were unrecognizable with the suits on. They were completely covered with the suits. The only thing that could be seen were their eyes through then slits in the fabric. Link nodded with satisfaction. The suit was very comfortable. It didn't weigh hardly anything. Plus it came with heat resistant boots and gloves. Link and Brad left their original boots in a corner of Darunia's room in a pile. Argus smiled.

"Are you ready to go, guys?"

Link held up a hand.

"We aren't quite ready to go to the Fire Temple yet. Do you know where the Great Fairy lives in the crater?"

Argus nodded.

"Of course. That's where we took the burn victims that one time. Why do we need to go there?"

Link pointed at the three fairies.

"These guys need heat protection. If we don't find a way to make them heat resistant, they will have to stay behind."

Argus sighed and turned to the fairies.

"I'm so sorry. I forgot all about you three. Unfortunately, we never made suits for fairies. We will ask the Great Fairy and see what she has to say."

Link, Brad and Argus walked into the mountain crater. All around there was a orange glow from the lava. Link could see a small rope bridge just ahead. Argus pointed to the right.

"The Great Fairy lives this way. Follow me!"

Argus lead them on a narrow path. Link looked down and he could see bubbling lava. A few minutes later, Argus stopped in front of a cave. He turned to Link.

"This is the Great Fairy's cave. She should be able to help the fairies. Let's go inside and talk to her."

They walked inside the cave. Once inside, Link and Brad took off the parts of their suits that were covering their faces. The cave walls started to glow a bright blue and suddenly, a tall girl with green eyes and blue hair wearing a blue dress appeared in front of them.

"Greetings. I am the Great Fairy of Death Mountain Crater."

She looked at Link and Brad's astonished faces. Then she turned to Argus and smiled.

"Well met, Argus. It's good to see you again. How is your tribe faring?"

Argus looked away as he replied.

"Not well at all. They have been captured by Ganondorf and his two evil sons."

She gasped in alarm.

"What? That's horrible news! Are you planning a rescue operation?"

Argus nodded.

"Yes I am. These two are going to help me with that."

She looked over at Link and Brad. They both still looked astonished. She giggled.

"Well, are you two going to stare at me like that all day? Aren't you going to tell me why you have come here?"

Link coughed nervously.

"S-sorry but you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life."

Brad walked forward.

"Same goes for me, milady"

She started to giggle very loudly.

"That's so sweet. Thank you for the compliments you two. Now, what can I do for you two?

Link snapped back to reality.

"Oh yes! My fairy friends require your assistance. They can't withstand the heat for long and they were wondering if you could teach them a spell that would help them."

She nodded.

"Of course. I could never refuse somebody that said I was beautiful. Where are your friends now?"

"They are in Goron City. Why do you ask?"

She giggled.

"Because I can teleport them here. Watch this!"

She waved her hands and suddenly, the whole cave started to glow bright green. Link, Brad and Argus shielded their eyes and when the glowing subsided, Navi, Izzy and Valerie were all flying in front of them. Navi looked around in confusion. She saw Link and questioned him.

"What the? How did we get here, Link? What's going on?"

He didn't reply. He simply pointed behind her. She turned around and the Great Fairy smiled at her.

"I teleported you here. Welcome to my shrine, Navi."

She gasped.

"How do you know my name?"

She giggled.

"I know of all the fairy folk in this world. I also know the names of your friends. Valerie and Izzy. Link has told me of your plight. You cannot withstand the heat. I can teach the spell to you, but are you skilled enough to cast it?"

Valerie flew in front of Navi.

"I know more about magic than Izzy or Navi. I should be able to cast it myself."

The great fairy nodded.

"So be it. I will bestow the power of the spell inside of you."

The great fairy raised her hands into the air. They began to glow bright orange. Suddenly, a ray of magical energy left her hands and struck Valerie. She screamed and flew back a few feet. The Great Fairy's handed stopped glowing and she lowered them.

"Now, concentrate and show me the spell."

Valerie focused her energy and concentrated. After a few minutes, she started to glow bright orange. She resembled a small fireball. The Great Fairy clapped her hands together with excitement.

"Well done, Valerie! Cast that spell wherever there is heat and you will not be burned. You can also cast it on the fairies as well. The spell also comes with a unique perk. You have the ability to control fire with it at will. Use it wisely. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Is there anything else I can help with?"

Link raised his hand.

"I have another favor to ask. My friends have been corrupted by evil. Is there any spell you can give us that may cleanse them?"

The Great Fairy nodded slowly.

"I have a spell that may help a little. It's called Purify. I am uncertain if it can totally cleanse an evil being, but you can give it a try. I will bestow the power inside you."

Link hesitated.

"But wouldn't Valerie make a better choice? I don't have the skills she has."

She frowned.

"Don't put yourself down, Link. If you can cast fireballs, then this spell should be very easy to cast."

She waved her arms and her hands started to glow once again. Suddenly, a ray of light hit Link in the chest. He gasped in surprise. She nodded.

"There! Now, I am going to summon a evil wolf. Your job will be to cleanse it. Let's see how you do. Nobody interfere please."

Brad, Argus and the three fairies backed away. The Great Fairy waved her arms and a wolf appeared in front of Link. It started snarling and growling at him. Link backed away and closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, the wolf started to glow a dark black. Within minutes, the wolf was unconscious on the ground. When it woke up, it looked around and started to whimper and whine. Then it made a dash for the cave entrance and vanished before it got there. Link turned around in surprise.

"You looked shocked. I teleported it back to the Forest Temple. Well done. You completely cleansed the wolf. I knew you could do it. That spell is even easier to cast than those fireballs you cast. Try that on your friends but be careful! I don't know if it will work on humans or not."

Link smiled.

"Thank you for the help. We should really get going."

The Great Fairy smiled at him as he and Brad fixed their suits.

"Okay. Farewell, darling."

Link was blushing under the suit. He walked outside as Valerie cast the heat resistance spell on the other two fairies. Navi flew out of the cave and landed on Link's shoulder.

"So, why did the Great Fairy call you darling?"

Link froze up. He stammered a reply.

"Uh, n-n-no reason! We were j-j-just talking."

Link could hear Brad and Argus laughing beside him.

Brad wiped tears of merriment from his eyes.

"He told her she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen! I agreed with him too! She was one hot fairy!"

Argus started to laugh harder.

"Wait until I tell the tribe this story after we rescue them!"

Link started to get even more embarrassed.

"You better be joking, Argus! I don't want to be a laughing stock!"

Navi frowned.

"I find it offensive! How could you say that to a Great Fairy? That's so disrespectful!"

Link shrugged.

"She didn't seem to mind."

Izzy and Valerie laughed at him. Valerie giggled.

"You can be quite the handful sometimes, Link!"

Izzy looked at Brad.

"You can be too, Brad! Imagine calling the Great Fairy hot! I wonder what she would say?"

Brad shrugged.

"She would probably just giggle and thank me like she did with Link."

They all argued and laughed about the encounter as they made their way back to the rope bridge to begin their journey into the Fire Temple, not knowing what will await them. Defeat or victory.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 38**

Ganondorf and Vaati were inside the Fire Temple in Volvagia's chamber. The room was very hot due to the red hot molten lava that covered most of the chamber. There was only one large stone platform and they were standing on it.. Ganondorf was admiring the dragon as it flew by him and Vaati.

"This is perfect! It looks deadly and very strong. What a great way to get rid of the gorons. Don't you agree, son?"

Vaati nodded in agreement. He watched the dragon as it flew around the room. It resembled a very large snake with wings. The top of it's body was a rough looking black scaly hide. It's belly was smooth and orange in color. Volvagia was a lava dragon and after a few minutes of flying around, it grunted and flew down into the depths of the lava. Ganondorf laughed with delight.

"Very soon, the goron race will be wiped off the face of this pathetic world!"

He turned to Vaati. He was looking down into the lava. Suddenly, Volvagia's head popped out. He gasped with alarm and jumped back. Ganondorf started to laugh at Vaati.

"What's wrong? Did the dragon scare you? That was priceless!"

He walked over to the edge of the lava. The dragon's head was still out of the lava. He reached down and patted it gently on the head.

"I've got a huge surprise for you. I'm going to feed you some nice and juicy gorons. What do you think of that?"

The dragon started to lick it's lips in anticipation. Ganondorf smiled at it.

"I know you were defeated by a goron hero many years ago. Now I'm helping you to get revenge."

The dragon roared angrily at the mention of being defeated by a goron hero and it slunk back into the lava. Ganondorf turned to Vaati.

"Are you sure Dark Link is guarding the prison cells well? I don't want a single goron escaping."

Before he could reply, Dark Link suddenly appeared in front of him and Ganondorf. He was out of breath.

"Father, I... need help. Two gorons escaped the prison cells. I m managed to keep the rest of them contained. "

Goron grabbed ahold of him and lifted him off his feet.

"What? You were supposed to make sure that didn't happen you fool! You're useless! You have all that power I gave you, but you let two gorons escape? Why didn't you try and confine them with your powers?"

Ganondorf released him and he fell to the ground gasping for breath. He looked into his father's angry red eyes.

"I'm sorry, Father. I failed you. I tried to cast spells at them, but they were too fast. I believe it was those two goron brothers that gave us trouble earlier. They told me that their names were Drexel and Aurdain."

Ganandorf slowly massaged his forehead.

"I want you and Vaati to get out there and find those two. If they won't come quietly, kill them!"

Vaati and Dark Link Nodded and disappeared in a huge cloud of smoke. Ganondorf cursed angrily.

"Those two better not fail me this time!"

Link, Brad, Argus and the three fairies were in Death Mountain Crater walking back near the rope bridge. All three fairies were bright orange from their heat resistance spell Valerie cast earlier. She was very eager to try out the fire control ability. She looked over at Link.

"Once we get across this bridge, can you cast a fireball at me? I've got to give this fire control ability a try!"

Link felt uneasy about having his own fireball tossed back at him.

"I don't know. I'm a little nervous about trying that. What if I don't dodge fast enough?"

Navi turned to Valerie and giggled.

"You know, he's kinda right. Remember back in the Forest Temple? He almost got himself eaten by that plant. Do you really want to send his own fireball hurling back at him after that?"

Valerie sighed.

"Maybe you're right.. But who can I practice our new attack on?"

Izzy flew in front of Valerie.

"Try Brad! He's in great shape and he's also got great reflexes. He can dodge almost anything you throw at him."

Behind her, Brad was blushing with embarrassment.

"Come on, Izzy. Cut it out! You're embarrassing me. I'll give it a try. I just hope I can get the fireball ready. It's been awhile since I used that spell."

Argus laughed and patted him lightly on the back.

"You can do it, Brad. You can do anything when you put your mind to it. Let's see you cast a fireball."

Brad held up his hands.

"Okay I'll do it. Let's just get across this bridge first. I don't want to fall into the lava below."

Everyone glanced down at the bubbling lava and they saw what he meant.

After they crossed the rope bridge, everyone looked at Brad. He glanced around through the eye slits in his fire suit. Everyone was looking at him and waiting. He nodded.

"Time to get this started."

He started to concentrate on creating a fireball. Before he could concentrate further, a mysterious figure wearing a fire suit appeared in front of everyone. The figure looked at Link.

"Greetings, Link. It's me, Shiek I have come hear to teach you..."

Shiek paused and looked at the three glowing fairies circling Argus and Link. Then he looked at Brad. He had his gloves off and he was still trying to concentrate.

"What's going on here? Why are those fairies glowing like fireballs?"

Link stepped forward and tried to explain to Shiek what was happening.

"They are glowing due to a heat resistance spell. The spell has a unique ability to control fire and we were about to test it out."

Shiek gasped in awe.

"I will tell you why I am here later. I have to see this."

Brad had a small fireball formed. He started to concentrate harder. After a few minutes, it gradually got bigger. Valerie flew over to where nobody was standing. She looked over in Brad's direction.

"Are you ready, Brad? Toss it at me!"

Brad opened his eyes and threw the fireball towards Valerie. It was hurling towards her at an amazing speed. When it got within mere inches of hitting her, She held out her hands and they began to glow orange. Suddenly, the fireball stopped in it's tracks! It was floating in front of Valerie. It had a bright orange ring of energy surrounding it. She looked at Brad again.

"Here it comes, Brad. Get ready!"

Her eyes started to glow bright orange. Suddenly, the fireball turned around and hurled towards Brad. He gasped and jumped out of it's path. The fireball exploded on the ground. Everyone gasped in shock. Valerie grinned.

"If Vaati or Dark Link throw fireballs at us, they're going to in for a huge surprise!"

Shiek nodded in satisfaction.

"That power will surly be useful in the coming battles. Now Link, I've come to teach you a song that will bring you back here whenever you need to This is Called the Bolero of Fire!"

Shiek pulled out his harp and played the song. It echoed all around the mountain. He looked over at Link.

"The song on your ocarina is down, a, down, a, right, down, right, down."

Link pulled out his ocarina and looked at the keys and holes and played the melody for Shiek. He clapped with excitement.

"Bravo! That was perfect, Link! Play that song and you will be warped here instantly. Good luck rescuing the gorons in the Fire Temple. Please try to be careful."

Suddenly, he threw something onto the ground and vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Link and his friends turned and walked towards the entrance to the Fire Temple. Link was hoping he wasn't too late to save the goron race.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 39**

As soon as Link and his friends walked into the Fire Temple, they had a feeling that they were being watched. Link turned around and addressed everyone.

"Okay, everyone. We don't know what kind of monsters await us in this temple. Let's be careful though. I think somebody or something knows we are here. Try to stay alert and focused. I don't want to see anybody get hurt or captured in here."

Argus walked over and patted him gently on the back.

"What a touching speech, Link. Thank you for the kind words. I am not going to let myself or others get hurt or captured. If monsters try to capture me, they are in for the fight of their lives."

Brad walked over beside Link and drew his scimitar.

"Same goes for me, pal. I will slice them in two before they get me."

Navi giggled.

"I cant wait to see an enemy's face if they try to cast a fireball at us. Can you try to teach me and Izzy how to use that fire control ability, Valerie?"

Valerie nodded.

"I will certainly try. However, that is no easy task. The only reason I was able to send that fireball back is because I am a skilled magic user and you and Izzy are just beginners. With some training, I think you two will be just as good as me or better. When we get out of here, I will try and teach you guys. Until then, let me handle that ability."

Navi nodded.

"That sounds fair. I can't wait to learn it!"

Izzy flew forward.

"Me either. I want to feel more useful. If I can learn some spells, perhaps that would help."

Link looked around the room and checked to make sure there weren't any enemies nearby. All he could see was a few bats flying around near the ceiling. All around the room, there were lit torches scattered everywhere. Some ranging from very tiny to colossal. There was a huge stairway in front of Link and his friends and two small doors to each side of it. Both of them had chains across them and a lock securing them. Link decided to climb the stairway, with his friends following closely behind. When Link reached the top, he heard a strange noise behind him. Before he could turn around, he heard Argus shout.

"Watch out! Vaati and Dark Link are here!"

Vaati laughed evilly.

"Well well well. What do we have here? A little rescue party attempting to save the gorons? We can't allow you to proceed any further. Why do you have those suits on? Can't you wimps handle a little heat? No matter. I will burn those suits right off of you!"

Valerie grinned as she saw Vaati getting ready to cast a fireball. Time for a true display of her powers against a real enemy. Link was also watching. Suddenly, a plan was beginning to form in his mind. He turned to Vaerie.

"Can you try to keep them distracted? I have an idea. I want to cast my purify spell and see if I can hit one of them."

Valerie smiled and nodded.

"That sounds good to me. This is going to be fun!"

Argus and Brad cheered Link on.

"What a good idea, brother. See if can get one of them on our side again!"

"Go Valerie! Go Link! Show them how it's done."

Vaati had his fireball ready. He looked beside him and Dark Link was just watching the battle. He threw the fireball and glared at Dark Link.

"Why aren't you helping me? Come on! Get a damn fireball ready."

Dark Link hastily obeyed.

"Sorry, brother. I didn't mean to slack off."

Suddenly, a fireball shot right above Vaati's head. He turned his attention to his enemies while Dark Link got a spell ready.

"So, now you're playing with fire too? Let's see if you can handle this!"

Suddenly, a huge fireball began to form in Vaati's hand. It was much bigger than the last fireball. He then threw it towards Link and Brad. Link was concentrating on his purify spell and he was almost ready to cast it. Brad was stunned at what he saw. If that hit them, it would be the end of them. Valerie flew in front of them and held out her hands and they began to glow orange. Vaati started to laugh.

"Say goodbye to you and your friends, Link. It was a pleasure killing you!"

Suddenly, the fireball stopped in mid air. Vaati's mouth opened wide with shock.

"What the? What's going on? Why isn't the fireball moving and destroying you?"

Valerie's eyes started to glow bright orange and all of a sudden, the fireball turned around and headed towards it's creator! Vaati was panicking. He looked over at Dark Link and he was concentrating on a purple ball of energy forming in his hand with his eyes closed! He had no idea a fireball was heading his way. Vaati kicked him. He grunted in pain and the ball of energy vanished.

"Snap out of it you fool! We have to move! My fireball is going to hit us."

Vaati's fireball was getting closer. He added a lot of destructive force to the fireball and he didn't want it to hit him He pushed Dark Link in front of it.

"Stop that fireball you fool! Do something useful for a change!"

Stung by the insult but obedient to his brother, Dark Link created a shield of dark energy around himself and Vaati. The fireball hit it and shattered it, sending Vaati and Dark Link flying. Vaati and Dark Link both groaned and got up. Suddenly, they saw something else heading towards them. It was a purple ball of energy coming towards them at an incredible speed.

"Watch out, brother!"

Dark Link saw that it was going to hit Vaati and he ran over and pushed him out of the way.

The ball of energy struck Dark Link and sent him flying Link saw it strike Dark Link and he cheered.

"Yes! I hit Dark Link. I hope it works."

Dark Link rose from the ground and groaned. He held his head. Strange memories were coming back to him. He was starting to remember his former life before he was turned into Dark Link against his will. His name used to be Charlie. Link was his friend, not his foe. He was also fighting for all of Link's friends instead of fighting against them. All of Charlie's memories were beginning to flood his mind He was starting to wonder if he would be better off resuming his life as Charlie instead of Dark Link. Just then, Vaati snapped him back to reality by pushing him.

"Snap out of it! We have a job to do! We have to get rid of those enemies somehow."

Dark Link nodded.

"You're absolutely right, Vaati. I think I'm going to start with you!"

Dark Link started to form a big ball of Dark energy and turned around to face Vaati. Vaati backed away.

"What the hell are you doing? I'm not the enemy! Link and his friends are the enemies!"

Dark Link Released the ball of Dark energy towards Vaati. It struck him and sent him flying. Link and his friends were watching in confusion. Argus tapped Link on the shoulder.

"What's going on over there? Why are they fighting each other?"

Link shrugged.

"Maybe they had a disagreement between them."

Valerie shook her head.

"I don't think so. I may be wrong, but I don't think that's Dark Link fighting Vaati. I think that's Charlie!"

Brad shook his head.

"I don't think so. If it's Charlie, why does he still look like Dark Link? I think Link's right."

Navi shrugged.

"I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Vaati groaned and got up. That blast from Dark Link really hurt. He glared at Dark Link.

"You...Traitor! How could you do this? Me and Father gave you everything! When I get rested, I am going to find you and kill you! I swear it! There's nowhere you can hide."

Suddenly, Vaati disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Dark Link turned and started to walk towards Link and his friends. Link was on his guard. He drew his sword and he had his shield ready. Argus was eager for a fight Brad drew his sword and stood beside Link. Navi, Izzy and Valerie watched him carefully as he got closer. Link shouted at him.

"What do you want? You sent Vaati away so you could destroy us yourself?"

Dark Link shook his head. Link was confused.

"Then what do you want then?

Dark Link smiled.

"I actually want to rejoin you on your quest, Link. It's me, Charlie."

Everyone gasped in shock. Link couldn't believe his ears.

"Charlie! Is it really you? I can't believe it. That spell actually worked!"

Charlie nodded.

"Whatever spell you cast worked like a charm. I really have to thank Ganondorf and Vaati.I have the powers and appearance of Dark Link but the mind of Charlie."

Brad walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"It's good to have you back, buddy. I missed you."

Argus walked over and patted him lightly on the head.

"Same goes for me, brother. At least Link has one of his friends back now."

The three fairies flew around Charlie.

"We got our friend back and also a powerful ally!", said Navi.

"I'll say! Maybe you can teach me some of your spells!", said Valerie.

"Yeah. Maybe you can teach Brad some of your quick reflexes!", said izzy.

Brad glared at Izzy.

"What's that supposed to mean? You keep telling everybody how good my reflexes are! Why do I need more training?"

Izzy held out her hands.

"Sorry, Brad! Only joking of course. You're awesome."

Charlie laughed at Izzy's comments.

"I think I'm going to like you guys all over again. My mind is still a little hazy I'm just glad to be back."

Link patted him on the back.

"Everyone is glad to have you with us once again. Do you remember much about being Dark Link?"

Charlie shook his head.

"Not really. The last thing I remember was being inside a big castle. Then Ganondorf chanelled evil power inside of me and everything went black. I guess I was Dark Link after that. I can't sem to remember anything else... Wait! I remember two gorons escaping from the cells. Ganondorf was furious when he heard the news and he told us to find them. That's weird. Why do I still know that? Maybe because it was my most recent memory as Dark Link."

Link shrugged.

"It's hard to say. I wouldn't worry about it. So, two gorons escaped? Do you remember their names?"

Charlie shook his head.

"No I don't. I'm sure we will run into them somewhere in here if they don't get captured."

Link nodded.

"Sounds good. Let's get moving. If we're lucky, we'll bump into them before Ganondorf or Vaati does."

Everybody got ready to resume the exploration through the hot temple with a new powerful ally and an old friend.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 40**

Vaati was standing in front of the door to Volvagia's chamber. He was afraid to enter and tell his father what had happened with Dark Link. He thought of his father's reaction to the news. He would surly get yelled at for being so irresponsible. Vaati sighed. His father never used to be so angry, but ever since he entered the Sacred Realm and touched the triforce, his moods just got worse and worse. He used to be so calm and caring before he became the evil king. He sighed heavily. His father would find out sooner or later if he told him lies. He figured it was time to go inside and tell him the bad news. He used his evil magic and teleported inside the chamber. He saw his father staring down into the lava pits with his back to him. He grunted as he heard the sound of a spell being cast.

"It's about time you two showed up. Did you catch those..."

He turned around and immediately noticed Dark Link was missing. He glared at Vaati.

"Where is Dark Link? Why is he not with you?"

Vaati stammered a reply.

"W-well you see um..."

Ganondorf cut him off.

"Oh great. What did you mess up this time? What happened to Dark Link?"

Vaati stared at the ground and avoided his father's angry stare.

"A spell was cast by Link or one of his friends. It was aimed at me, but Dark Link pushed me out of the way and it hit him. Before I knew it, Dark Link was casting spells at me and he trying to injure me. I had to retreat. I'm sorry, father."

Ganondorf dashed over and grabbed Vaati and lifted him off his feet and shook him as he screamed at him.

"You idiot! Do you realize how much effort I put into every evil minion I create? What good are you? Now Dark Link is freed from evil! He has all the new magic I bestowed upon him to now use against us!"

Ganondorf threw Vaati on the ground. He groaned and lifted his head up.

"I'm very sorry. I never meant for this to happen."

Ganondorf glared at Vaati.

"It never should have happened in the first place! Now I'm going to have to teach you a lesson!"

Vaati gulped.

"A l-lesson?"

Ganondorf grinned evilly. He raised his hand and it began to glow dark blue. Within seconds, a ball of energy was formed in his hand. He tossed it at Vaati. He saw it coming towards him and he flinched, expecting it to cause pain. He heard it hit him, but it didn't hurt. He opened his eyes and looked at his father in confusion.

"What did you cast at me?"

Ganondorf began to laugh.

" A spell that temporarily disabled your powers. I don't want you to escape or fight back."

Vaati was confused.

"What's going on?"

Ganondorf started to laugh even harder.

"I'm punishing you Are you ready?"

Vaati shook his head nervously.

"No! Please don't hurt me! It won't happen again I promise."

Ganondorf didn't reply. Instead, he started to form a ball of dark energy. Vaati looked around the chamber. Surly, there was a way to escape the room. He started to walk away from his father. Ganondorf grinned.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ganondorf held up his other hand and suddenly, Vaati went flying towards the nearest wall. He hit the wall with a loud _Thud!_ He tried to get up and move again, but he was unable to. The spell his father had cast rooted him to the spot. He couldn't move a muscle. Ganondorf cast a ball of dark energy at Vaati. He groaned in pain. The evil king sneered.

"Weakling! You can't even handle that? You'll just love this next one!"

Vaati's agonized cries could be heard all through the chamber.

Link and his friends just entered a room. They looked around and gasped. There was a rickety bridge constructed over a huge lava pit. A few of the planks to the bridge were missing. Brad gulped nervously.

"Usually, I'm ready for anything. But I wasn't expecting anything like this!"

Link patted him on the shoulder.

"I know what you mean. You, me and Charlie are going to carefully cross this bridge."

He turned to Argus.

"You are invulnerable to the lava right?"

Argus nodded.

"Yes I am, brother. We gorons actually bathe in lava. It's like a hot spring to us."

Link nodded.

"That's good. Then you wouldn't mind wading through the lava instead of taking the bridge across? No offense, but you are a little heavy and I don't want you breaking the bridge."

Argus smiled.

"None taken. I understand, brother. I know you aren't insulting me. I weigh almost as much as a boulder. Stand back while I jump in the lava."

Everyone stood back as Argus jumped into the lava. He made a big splash. Some of the lava hit a few planks on the bridge and burned holes in them. Link glared at Argus. He shrugged apologetically.

"Sorry guys. I guess I got carried away."

Brad groaned.

"Don't wreck our bridge, Argus. We need that to cross to the other side! Do we have to cross that bridge, Link? I'm not looking forward to this."

Link sighed.

"Neither am I, but we have to. Don't worry. We'll help each other out as we cross."

Brad turned to Charlie.

"You have new powers now. Can't you just teleport us across?"

Charlie shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I haven't tried out all my powers yet. The only power I used was my dark energy I cast at Vaati. Let me try and concentrate."

Charlie closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, he disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke and he reappeared on the other side of the bridge. He waved over to them.

"I have an idea! I'll be right there!"

He disappeared and he reappeared in front of Brad. He held out his hand.

"Hold my hand, pal. I'm going to try to teleport us across. I'm not sure if this will work, but it's worth a try."

Brad grabbed a hold of Charlie's hand. Charlie closed his eyes and concentrated. Charlie disappeared in a cloud of smoke, but left Brad behind. Charlie reappeared on the other side again. Charlie yelled over.

"Sorry, Brad! I guess I need to practice with these new powers of mine! You're going to have to cross the bridge."

Izzy, Navi and Valerie flew over beside Brad.

"You can do it, Brad. Don't let this lava pit stop you. You're a tough kokiri", said Izzy.

"Link is nervous too. Just take your time and you'll be fine", Navi explained.

"I could put a shield around you. I'm not entirely sure it will protect you if you fall in the lava though."

Brad shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't worry about it, Valerie. Thanks for cheering me up, guys. Let's get this over with, Link."

Link nodded and he and Brad carefully stepped on the bridge. It wobbled back and forth. Brad was sure it was going to break. Then suddenly, it stopped wobbling. They wasted no time and continued to cross the unsafe bridge. About halfway across, They ran into problems. Brad was behind Link and he was trying to cross carefully. He was trying to look around Link to see how much further they had to go to be across. He failed to look down and see the loose plank on the bridge. As soon as he stepped on it, it broke and his foot was hanging down dangerously close to the lava. Brad screamed out in panic.

"Help me, Link! I'm going to fall in the lava! My foot is almost touching the lava."

Link turned around when he heard the scream. He gasped. If he didn't do something, Brad was a goner. Link grabbed Brad's hand and pulled him up out of the hole. He then lifted Brad up and set him on his shoulders. Brad was nervous about being on his shoulders.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea? Won't I weigh you down a little?"

Link smiled and shook his head.

"You are light as a feather, Brad. I will get you across. Just hold onto my shoulders tightly."

Link continued to cross the bridge with Brad holding on tightly. They didn't have much further to go now. Suddenly, something long and scaly jumped out of the lava and crossed the bridge in front of them and landed in the lava on the other side of the bridge with a small splash. Brad's eyes went wide with terror. He tried to urge Link to cross the bridge quickly.

"Let's go! I don't want that thing to grab me and drag me into the lava! Step on it, pal!"

Link nodded.

"Ok. I don't want that thing to hurt me either. Hang on. I'm going to run the rest of the way across."

Link started to run. As he ran, the bridge began to shake violently. After a few minutes, they made it across the bridge. Link put Brad back onto the ground. Suddenly, Link and brad heard a loud splash. Charlie pointed behind them.

"Guys! Look at the bridge!"

They turned around to look at the bridge and they gasped in surprise. The bridge wasn't there! There was something in the lava that was on fire. Brad groaned.

"This is just great. How are we going to get back now? Maybe running wasn't such a good idea after all, Link. It broke the bridge!"

Suddenly, Navi, Izzy and Valerie flew across the lava towards them. Navi landed on Link's head while the other two flew around him in circles.

"We saw what happened to the bridge. Is everyone alright?"

Brad nodded.

"Yeah. We're alright. We have a big problem though. How the hell do we get out of here?"

Link smiled and patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, buddy. We will find another way out of here."

Brad turned around and faced Link.

"How can you be so sure? What if we never get out of here? I don't want to be stuck in here forever."

Argus turned him around so they were face to face.

"Look, Brad. I don't know you very well, but in the short time we've known each other, I've never seen you crack under pressure. You need to clam down. We are all going to work together and find a way to leave this place. Before we can even think about that, we need to rescue my tribe and kill that dragon...Again."

Brad smiled. Argus was right. There had to be another way out. Besides, there was more at stake than just escaping."

"I'm sorry, everyone. I wasn't trying to complain a lot. After that bridge fell into the lava, I guess I kind of flipped out a little."

Link smiled and looked around at everybody.

"Okay, everybody. Brad seems to be feeling better now. Let's get moving and rescue Argus's tribe."

Everyone cheered at Link as they got ready to enter the next room, unsure of what dangers awaited them.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 41**

After five minutes of having magic hurled at him by Ganondorf, Vaati couldn't take anymore. He groaned in pain and collapsed on the ground and was rendered unconscious. A while later, he opened his eyes and lifted his head up. Ganondorf was standing over him grinning evilly. He grabbed Vaati by his arm and lifted him up on his feet again. He started to chuckle darkly.

"So you were a weakling after all. You couldn't take my blasts of magic and you got knocked out. A pity. I thought I made you stronger than that. I trust that you have learned your lesson? I took the liberty of healing you and restoring your powers. Without them, you're pathetic. If you ever lost your powers in a battle with Link, you would be dead."

Vaati stared at Ganondorf in silence. He was starting to think he would be better off on his own. What kind of father punishes their son by tossing magic at him? He glared at Ganondorf in anger. He used his powers to teleport up in the air. He floated in midair above his father. Ganondorf looked at him and sneered.

"What's wrong, my boy? You got a troubled look in your eyes."

Vaati chuckled dryily.

"You throw magic at me to punish me and then you ask me what's wrong? I don't want to be your son anymore. You've changed a lot over the past seven years. You're insane, Ganondorf!"

Ganondorf glared at Vaati.

"So, you're planning a mutiny are you? After everything I gave you and did for you. This is how you repay me? What's happened to you?"

Vaati couldn't believe what he was hearing! He looked at Ganondorf in anger as his temper got more fierce.

"What do you mean? Nothing has happened to me! What about you? Did you get brain damage when you touched the triforce? I appreciate all the evil power you bestowed into me, but I've had enough of you."

Ganondorf yelled with rage and he teleported beside Vaati and grabbed him by the neck.

"How dare you! Nobody talks to me like that!"

Ganondorf held Vaati by the neck with one hand, while he charged up dark energy with his other hand. Vaati acted quickly and teleported out of his grasp. He ended up teleporting high up in the air. Ganondorf cursed angrily and tossed a ball of dark energy at him. It missed completely. Vaati laughed at him.

"Is that the best you can do? Some evil king you turned out to be!"

Stung by the insult, Ganondorf pounded his fist on the ground in anger. It shook the ground violently, causing a large cloud of dust to gather in the air. He looked up at Vaati and shouted at him.

"Get out of here you whelp! If I EVER see you again, I'll kill you!"

Vaati started to laugh again.

"Bye, Ganondorf! Before you try to kill me, you might want to work on your aim first!"

He disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Ganondorf was still shaking in anger.

"Just you wait, whelp! I'm going to go to the desert and have a talk with two of my most trusted soldiers in my army! They will help me exact my vengeance!"

Ganondorf walked over to the edge of the lava. Volvagia's huge scaly head popped out.

"I want you to destroy Link and his friends. Don't fail me!"

It nodded in acknowledgment. Ganondorf smiled.

"Good. I have to go now. I will be back later tonight to feed you your dinner of gorons."

Ganondorf disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

Author's note

I know this chapter is small, but I wanted to finish The scene with Ganondorf and Vaati before I did more writing. Morningdove14, I hope you liked this chapter, even though it was short. I'm off work until Wednesday and I plan on writing at least two more chapters.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 42**

When Link and his friends entered the next room, they were surprised at what they saw. There was a thick wooden plank stretched across a small lava pit. It was angled downwards and the other end was at a lower elevation. On the area below, there was a huge steel mesh constructed around the platform. There was also a platform that was constantly rising up to the ceiling and falling down again. There was a lava spout under the platform and every thirty seconds it would erupt, sending the platform up to the ceiling. Link nodded admirably. He encountered one of these in Dodongo's Cavern seven years ago. This one was a lot more powerful though. Link and his friends would have to be careful. Brad gulped nervously as he watched the platform.

"Don't tell me we have to stand on that platform. Is that safe enough?"

Link nodded and patted Brad lightly on the back.

"They aren't as bad as you think, bud. I used one of these a long time ago in Dodongo's Cavern. All we have to do is stand on that platform and with any luck, it will take us up to the next floor."

Brad nodded.

"Alright. If you say it's safe, I'll believe you. How do we get down this plank?"

Link looked down at where the plank went. Link stepped on it and held his feet sideways and sidestepped carefully, while holding his arms out to his sides to steady himself. Within minutes, he made it across the plank. He turned and he noticed Charlie was getting ready to cross. He stepped onto the bridge, but suddenly hesitated and turned around to face Brad. He grabbed him by the arm.

"I want to teleport you over there. I don't want to see you lose your balance and fall in the lava. I know this didn't work earlier, but let me give it another try. I'm going to put all my power towards teleporting you."

Navi, Valerie and Izzy cheered at Charlie and his kind heart.

"Way to go, Charlie! You've really gotten a lot more helpful since you got those powers."

"I only wish we could do more to help. I can put a shield around your body, but it won't protect you from lava."

"Brad's an awesome fighter, but he still has more to learn about the arcane arts. Maybe when we get out of here, you can try to teach him some of your powers."

Charlie shrugged.

"I can try, but it may be impossible. Look at it this way. When I was turned evil, Ganondorf must have gave me these spells. I don't think it's possible to simply teach somebody how to perform my spells. That doesn't mean I won't try though. Anyway, enough talk. Let's give this another try."

Charlie held Brad's arm and attempted to concentrate harder than he ever had before. Suddenly, he felt himself teleporting. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was standing beside Link with Brad on the other side of him still holding his arm! Brad looked up at him and smiled.

"Way to go, Pal. I knew you could do it if you put your mind to it and concentrated. I would love to be able to learn some of your spells, but we'll talk more about that later."

Link smiled at Charlie.

"So how do you feel about yourself now? You just helped out Brad and you seem to be getting even more helpful with your powers."

Charlie nodded. Link couldn't tell, but it looked like Charlie was grinning. It was hard to tell because he was a shadow being. It still bothered him a little how Charlie looked identical to him. The only difference was that Charlie was a shadow and he had red glowing eyes.

"I gotta admit. Being captured by Ganondorf was the best thing that happened to me. I feel more useful than I ever did before. I was never all that good with weapons, but who needs them when you have an arsenal of spells at your disposal?"

Link laughed at Charlie's remark.

"That's the spirit! I'm still really glad my purify spell hit you and got you on our side. Ganondorf is probably cursing Vaati for his incompetence."

Link noticed Argus and the three fairies were not yet across. They looked like they were talking to each other. He called over to them.

"Hey guys, what's the holdup? Are you coming over?"

Argus looked at Link and yelled a reply.

"I was just talking something over with the fairies. Navi told me I might hurt myself if I try to cross that thing. It might break. So I'm gonna hop into the lava. I'll be over in a minute."

The fairies flew across while argus swam through the lava. After everyone was accounted for, they went up to the lava spout and waited for the platform to lower. As soon as it was lower, they all jumped on. Thirty seconds later, they were being propelled up to the next floor. As soon as the platform got up to the top, they immediately climbed off. There was a door in front of them, so they opened it and walked into the next room. As soon as they did, they noticed a wall in front of them. There were two ways to go. Left or right. Link looked up and smiled. Maybe the fairies could fly high and see which way to go. He turned to the three fairies.

"Navi, Izzy and Valerie. We need your help. I want you guys to fly high and see what we are up against. Maybe you can figure out which way we are supposed to go. What do you say?"

Without responding to Link's request, they flew up into the air and flew around to take a look at what they were up against. They weren't gone long. Within minutes, they flew back down to tell Link what they saw. Navi flew forward.

"We are in a small maze. We might be able to guide you through. First, you want to take the path to the right. The left path doesn't go anywhere."

She flew up high above their heads along with Valerie and Izzy. Valerie called down to them.

"So far, we don't see any signs of enemies. You want to take a left just ahead of you."

Link looked and he noticed the path Valerie was referring to. Link, Charlie, Brad and Argus turned left. After they walked a few steps down the path, they began to hear rumbling. It was quiet, but steadily getting louder. Link looked up at the fairies.

"What's going on? What's that rumbling? Can you guys see anything?"

Izzy flew ahead of them and she saw the source of the rumbling and flew quickly back. She looked down at Link.

"Guys, there is a path to the right ahead of you. Please hurry and go down that way. There is a huge boulder rolling towards you!"

Link acted quickly. He turned to his friends.

"Follow me quickly, guys!"

They started to run ahead. The boulder was in plain view now and it was getting closer. Charlie was beginning to get worried.

"We're not going to make it! Hold onto me! There's only one way out of this. Trust me! I won't let anyone get hurt."

Everyone grabbed onto Charlie's arm. He concentrated and teleported them to the passage to the right Valerie had mentioned. It was perfect timing. Soon after, they saw the boulder roll by and they heard a loud _Crash!_ They walked out of the passage and saw that the boulder buried itself into the wall. Navi flew down to see if everyone was alright.

"Thank god you're all alright! Keep your eyes open, everyone. I didn't see anyone from the air, but I don't think that was an accident. I think somebody sent that boulder flying towards you."

Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice.

"Darn! I can't believe that missed. Stupid fairy! You ruined everything."

Suddenly, Vaati appeared in front of them. Link cursed angrily.

"I see you're still trying to kill us. Why don't you just leave us alone?"

Vaati laughed.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You ruined my life after you got that traitor back on your side!"

He pointed at Charlie. Charlie laughed.

"I'm no traitor. I just remembered who I was. How did I ruin your life? This is going to be funny I imagine."

Vaati glared at him.

"Shut up you idiot! Thanks to you, I got punished by that maniac Ganondorf! I ended up leaving his service to go out on my own."

Charlie laughed even harder.

"Aw that's too bad. You and daddy had a fight and now you aren't seeing each other anymore? How sad!"

Vaati glared venomously at Charlie.

"You're going to be sad alright. Sad that you ever decided to open your big mouth!"

Vaati began to create a ball of dark energy in his hands. Charlie laughed.

"Come on, hot shot. What's taking you so long?"

Vaati cursed in anger and released a ball of Dark energy towards Charlie. He easily dodged it and he teleported up into the air and he was floating. Charlie smiled at Vaati.

"Let me show you how it's done. Watch me!"

Charlie began to form a ball of dark energy. Within seconds, he had an enormous ball formed. He then tossed it at Vaati. He dodged it, but it wasn't finished. The ball of dark energy began to follow him! Vaati ran as fast as he could, but he was having trouble outrunning it. He glanced behind and gasped. It was very close now. He looked up at Charlie while he ran.

"You...can form...heat seeking shadow balls? How is that even possible?"

He gasped for breath and stopped running. It was a fatal error in judgement. The shadow ball struck him in the back and it sent him flying. He groaned in pain. He rose to his knees and looked up at Charlie.

"We should have never captured you. Now you have powers even greater than mine. This isn't over! I will find your weaknesses eventually. Just you wait!"

He disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Link came up behind him and patted him on the back heartily.

"I see what you meant about your spells earlier. Well done! Thank you for sending Vaati packing. Maybe he'll think twice about attacking us again."

Argus laughed.

"You're awesome, Charlie. I'm really starting to like having you around. I'm really impressed at your power and skill with those spells of yours!"

Charlie smiled and patted Argus on the shoulder.

"Thanks, friend. I'm glad to help out"

Brad walked up to Charlie and grabbed his hand and shook it.

"Well done, Charlie. You are very skilled with magic just like I am with the blade. You and me are going to make an awesome team."

Charlie nodded as he shook Brad's hand.

"I look forward to it. Thank you, Brad!"

Navi flew down in front of Link.

"Valerie and Izzy got back from exploring this maze. Good news! We are almost out of this maze. Just ahead there are paths going to the left and right. Take the right one and the exit door is just a few steps away!"

Link smiled.

"Good job, Navi. You and the other two fairies make good scouts."

They began to walk towards the two paths when suddenly, they heard rumbling again. Valerie flew over to Link in a hurry. She looked to be scared.

"Link! There's something big rolling down the path to the left and it's coming this way! I can't tell what it is. There's too much dust."

Link gritted his teeth. Was it Vaati again up to his usual tricks? He looked at Argus, Charlie and Brad.

"Get ready, guys. Whatever is coming, we'll face it head on!"

They nodded as they waited for the unknown object to get closer.

General Saska and Major Jaska were on night patrol in the desert in front of the Pyramid which was Nabooro's headquarters and home to the two evil witches Kotake and Koume. They enjoyed the change of pace. They hated being anywhere near open fields of grass and preferred the shifting sands of their desert home. They both raised swiftly through the ranks. Saska was now in command of the Gerudo army While Jaska helped train the soldiers to help her twin sister. As the years went by, they eventually became skilled magic users. They never boasted, but they were both far greater spell casters than King Ganondorf himself. However, they respected his title and never argued with him and followed his orders without question. King Ganondorf actually came to them for certain spells or incantations. Jaska groaned aloud.

"My feet are killing me! Is our patrol almost done?"

Saska grinned.

"If you hate this patrol so much, why don't you go to Nabooro and complain? Besides, this beats patrolling King Ganondorf's big castle any day."

Jaska nodded in agreement.

"That's true. He has to teleport us in as well. There's no bridge to his castle. He doesn't want enemy troops gaining entry. I think he's a little paranoid if you ask me."

Saska laughed lightly.

"Maybe. So, how are our troops doing? Can they handle themselves in battle?"

Jaska nodded.

"Aye I think they will be fine. They all passed the gerudo training grounds with flying colors. Ganondorf ordered us to get them trained and ready to march on Kakariko Village and I think they're ready. I was in the temple the other day talking to Kotake and Koume. They both told me to make double sure they can handle themselves in a fight. Afterwards, I had to stand there while they told me a very long story about when they were gerudo soldiers. I must've stood there for at least an hour."

Saska laughed.

"Those two never change do they? First they lecture you then they tell you a long story about their youth. I guess I can't blame them. They are both almost 500 years old. One of them is King Ganondorf's mother, but I'm not sure which one."

Suddenly, the two gerudo saw a purple glowing in the distance. Jaska nudged saska.

"What was that glowing coming from?"

Saska gasped.

"Stand to attention! King Ganondorf approaches!"

Ganondorf walked up to Saska and Jaska. Both were nervous. What kind of mood was the evil king in today? They didn't have to worry. Ganondorf hugged both of them.

"Saska, Jaska. It's been at least a few months. How have you two been doing?"

Both answered at the same time.

"We are fine, sir. How about you?"

He shook his head.

"Don't ask. I need your assistance again. But first, how are the troops doing, Major?"

Jaska stood to attention as she answered.

"Sir! They have doing remarkable! They should be able to handle anything you throw at them."

Ganondorf patted here lightly on the back.

"Job well done! Same goes to you, General!"

Saska swelled with pride.

"Thank you, sir!"

Ganondorf sighed.

"As I said earlier, I need your help. That whelp Vaati betrayed me. What's worse, Dark Link is back on Link's side and he still has all the evil powers I bestowed upon him."

Both gerudo gasped with shock.

"Sir, that's horrible news!"

"I can't believe that traitor Vaati ran off."

Ganondorf sighed.

"Yes. An unfortunate turn of events. The question is, can you help me exact my revenge on Vaati and take out Dark Link while I'm at it?"

Saska scratched her chin in deep thought. Suddenly, she brightened up.

"I might be able to create a dark spell that would help. Here's what it would do."

Saska discussed the spell's function to Ganondorf. He grinned evilly. The more she described it, the more he liked it! He nodded in agreement.

"That's perfect! When can you have it made?"

Saska bowed to her king.

"It will be ready in the morning, sir!"

Ganondorf nodded with satisfaction.

"Very good! I will in the pyramid visiting Kotake and Koume. Once you're done your patrol, get started immediately!"

Ganondorf walked towards the pyramid. Saska grinned evilly.

"I hope Nabooro releases me soon. I can't wait to get started on this spell!"

Author's notes

Well, this one's definately longer than the last chapter. Mornngdove14, I'm glad you liked my last chapter because I was unsure about it. It looked awesome to me as well, but I wasn't certain.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 43**

Link peeked around the corner and watched as the unknown object got closer. Argus, Brad and Charlie were beginning to feel uneasy. What if they got hurt facing the unknown enemy head on? Brad tapped Argus's shoulder.

"I don't know about you, but I don't think this is a good idea at all. What if we get hurt?"

Argus nodded slowly. He whispered to Brad as he watched.

"I'm beginning to feel the same way. Link is becoming too overconfident. He's going to either get himself or us hurt really bad. Charlie, can you teleport us out of harm's way?"

Charlie glanced around for a spot to teleport to. That's when he saw a ledge high up above the maze. It was perfect! He pointed up into the air.

"See that ledge? That's where we are going to teleport to."

Argus and Brad turned and looked at where Charlie was pointing. They both looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Argus patted Charlie lightly on the back.

"That will do nicely. I just hope Link cooperates."

Charlie nodded slowly.

"Just leave that to me."

He walked over to where Link was standing. He was so focused on the big object, he never payed any attention to what was going on around him. Charlie concentrated and formed a small ball of dark energy. Not big enough to harm Link. Just enough to knock him unconscious. He called out to Link.

"Link! Heads up!"

Link turned around just in time for the magic blast to hit him in the chest. He groaned and fell down to the ground in a heap. Charlie sighed.

"Sorry about that, Link. You'll thank me later."

Charlie lifted the unconscious Link to his feet. Argus and Brad crowded around him. Argus was worried.

"Charlie, is he going to be okay? You didn't hit him too hard did you?"

Charlie shook his head.

"No I didn't. I made my shadow ball very weak in power. When we teleport up there, he will likely regain consciousness."

Brad was feeling angry. He didn't like seeing his best friend blasted by somebody that was supposed to be his friend! He drew his scimitar and pointed it at Charlie.

"Why did you do that? Surly there was another way to get Link to listen. We could have just talked to him instead of knocking him out. You could have really hurt him!"

Charlie shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess you're right. Sorry, Brad. I guess I should've thought about that a little more. Can you put your weapon away now?"

Brad pointed his scimitar at Charlie.

"I got my eye on you. Next time you think about doing something like that, talk to us first!"

Charlie nodded.

"Okay I will. Now, we gotta teleport up there. That thing is really close now!"

Charlie grabbed everyone by the arm and concentrated. A few seconds later, they disappeared and reappeared up on the ledge. Brad walked over to Link and shook him gently.

"Link! Are you okay, pal?"

Link groaned and stood up slowly.

"What happened?"

He looked around and noticed he was high up on a ledge with Charlie, Brad and Argus. He looked down and he could see the three fairies flying around, likely looking for them. Link was confused.

"How did I get up here?"

Brad and Argus looked at Charlie. Suddenly, memories of what happened started to come back. He walked over and grabbed Charlie by his shirt.

"What the big idea? Why did you shoot me with magic? What did I ever do to you?"

Charlie held up his hands pleadingly.

"I'm sorry, Link. I didn't think you would listen to reason. We all wanted to get out of harm's way. Brad didn't agree with my actions either."

Link glared at him.

"Next time you want me to do something, just tell me what it is. Don't knock me out."

Brad nodded in agreement.

"That's exactly what I told him. Next time, just try and talk things out instead of shooting someone. I know it didn't hurt you, Link, but it could've right?"

Link nodded.

"Yes. But I'm willing to forgive you, Charlie. Let's get the fairies' attention."

Link yelled down to the fairies.

"Navi, Izzy, Valerie, We're up here!"

Navi heard the call and looked up and saw Link waving his arms. She turned around and flew over to Valerie and Izzy and pointed upwards.

"Everybody is up there! Charlie must've teleported them out of harm's way."

They nodded and flew up to where Link and the others were standing. They all had their eyes on the scene below. The object was now in front of where they were previously standing. It now stopped and the dust began to clear. Everyone gasped in shock. The unknown object was actually two big gorons! Argus gasped in surprise.

"I know those two! It's Drexxel and Aurdain. They must have escaped! If I know those two, they used their brute strength to break out of the jail. Hey Drexxel! Aurdain! Look up. It's me, your chief!"

Both gorons looked up and waved at Argus.

"Hi, boss! You came here to rescue us did you?"

Argus slapped his forehead.

"Of course I came here to rescue you, knuckleheads! Where is the rest of our tribe being held?"

Aurdain pointed behind himself.

"Back that way. We rolled here in case we were attacked."

Argus nodded slowly.

"I see. Charlie, can you take us down there?"

Charlie smiled.

"No problem. Hang on, everybody!"

Charlie closed his eyes and concentrated. Within minutes, they were down on the ground in front of the two muscle bound gorons. Argus patted Aurdain on the back.

"I'm glad you found us. Can you lead us to the prison?"

He nodded and smiled.

"Of course. Follow me."

He turned around and he started to walk back the way he and Drexxel came from. Everyone else followed, intent on rescuing the gorons before it was too late.

Saska was in her tent working on the spell for Ganondorf. She was making excellent progress and she was nearly complete. It had not taken her as long as she thought it would. Jaska was watching her eagerly.

"Is it almost finished, sister?"

Saska nodded.

"Just about. Just got one last incantation to finish...There!"

She held out her hand and it began to glow black. Within seconds, she had a black ball of dark energy formed. She grinned at her sister.

"It's complete. Watch this, jaska."

She threw the ball of energy on the floor. Suddenly, a big black blob formed on the floor. It was spitting out sparks and glowing a dark green. Jaska jumped back in surprise.

"Sister! What the heck is that?"

Saska grinned.

"This is raw dark power. It can be molded into anything, like a weapon for instance. Or even a shadow being."

She walked up to it and put her hands in front of it. She closed her eyes and concentrated. The blob started to move about, twisting and bending in shape. Within seconds, it formed the shape of a huge sword in front of Jaska's eyes. It was completely black. Jaska sighed.

"That sword looks very impressive, but it's still a black blob of dark power."

Saska smiled.

"Not for long. Watch this. If I cast the same spell at this blob, watch what happens to it."

She concentrated and formed a ball of raw dark energy. She threw it at the formed sword. It glowed bright green. Jaska shielded her eyes. When she uncovered them, she gasped in shock. It wasn't a blob anymore. A huge sword was lying on the ground. She was unable to tell that it was made from dark energy. She looked at her sister in awe.

"That's amazing! No wonder Ganondorf was so interested in having this spell."

Saska nodded.

"Yes and now we have the honor of bringing it to him completed seven hours early."

They walked out of their tent and walked towards the pyramid. Suddenly, they spotted a figure walking towards them. When it got closer, they bowed. It was Ganondorf! He looked down at the twin gerudo sisters.

"Get up, you two. How's the spell coming along? I couldn't sleep. It must be because I'm so excited to try it out."

Saska bowed to him.

"It's finished, my king. See for yourself. I made this sword with the spell to test it out."

Jaska held up a huge sword and handed it to Ganondorf. He examined it closely. The blade shined in the moonlight. He couldn't tell at all that it was made with the spell. He grinned happily.

"Excellent work. You have truly outdone yourself this time I trust it can make more than just weapons?"

Saska nodded.

"Shadow Molding can create virtually anything. You can keep that sword if you want."

Ganondorf smiled. He took the sword and strapped it on his back.

"Thank you for the sword, Saska. Now, can you give me the spell?"

She nodded and closed her eyes and concentrated. She formed a ball of dark energy and tossed it at Ganondorf. He grunted as it made impact with his body. Suddenly, a black ring of dark energy surrounded him. Then it quickly disappeared. Saska nodded.

"There you are, sir. You should now have the spell."

Ganondorf grinned evilly.

"Excellent! I have big plans. I think I will work on my first plan right here. So, I can create shadow beings as well?"

Saska nodded.

"Yes you can. The best part about that is that you don't need a host's body. You can create a new minion made entirely out of dark energy."

Ganondorf rubbed his hands together in delight. He finally had a way to get revenge on that whelp Vaati and that traitor Dark Link! He held out his hand and concentrated. Within seconds, a black ball of dark energy formed. He tossed it at the ground and a black blob appeared. He walked up to it and held his hand in front of it. The blob began to shift and twist. Within moments, it began to form a body. Suddenly, it collapsed back into a blob. He cursed in anger.

"Darn it! I might need your help, Saska. I've never used this kind of magic before. You have more magic expertise than I do."

Saska nodded wisely.

"Okay. Let me see if I can help. You're trying to make a shadow being right?"

Ganondorf nodded as he looked at the black blob.

"It takes a lot of concentration and effort to make a shadow being. Let me help you form the body and then we'll go from there."

Saska walked up to the blob and held her hands in front of it. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard as her hands glowed dark black. The blob began to twist and form into the shape of a body. She grunted.

"The hard part...is making it keep this shape!"

Ganondorf put a hand on her shoulder.

"You can do it, saska. You're the most skilled magic user I've got in my army. If anyone can do it, it's you."

Saska swelled with pride and attempted to concentrate harder. Suddenly, the dark energy stopped shifting and it remained in the shape of a tall skinny body. She opened her eyes and turned around and looked at Ganondorf.

"Thank you for the confidence boost, sir. That's just what I needed to finish. Now that part's done, we can concentrate on other details. Do you want this being to be a male or a female?"

Ganondorf scratched his chin.

"In honor of you helping me, I want it to be a female."

Saska smiled.

"Very well. Give me a moment to add the necessary items."

Saska worked on the body and molded it into a female figure. When she was done, Ganondorf gasped in awe. She was beautiful! She had long black hair and dark red eyes.. She had a tall slender figure. Ganondorf smiled.

"Well done. Is she complete?"

Saska shook her head.

"Not yet. She is merely an empty shell. She needs life. And dark power to go with that. That is where you come in. Focus your power inside her. I will give her life afterwards."

Ganondorf nodded. He concentrated as he channeled his own dark energy inside her. He really hoped this would work out better than the last two. After what seemed like an eternity, he stopped. He fell to his knees in exhaustion. Jaska ran over to him.

"Are you okay, sir?"

Ganondorf was breathing heavily. He looked up at her.

"Thanks. I'll be fine. Now it's your turn, Saska."

Saska looked over at him and nodded.

"Right. Time to give this creation life!"

She closed her eyes and focused. Suddenly, her hands started to glow white. She had a ball of white energy formed in her hands. With all the strength she could muster, she tossed it at the female created from the dark energy. She glowed bright white for one moment and then the glowing subsided. Suddenly, she emitted a faint moan. She opened her eyes.

"Who am I? And for that matter, what am I?"

Ganondorf grinned evilly. He walked up to her.

"You, my girl are a shadow being created by my most skilled spell caster. From now on, your name shall be Veran, Sorceress of Shadows!

He laughed evilly as she looked around in confusion. Saska walked up to Ganondorf. She was breathing heavily.

"I am happy fro you, sir. Now, I need to lay down. Creating her took a lot of energy out of me!"

Veran looked around. She looked down at herself. Her skin was dull purple in color. She looked at Ganondorf.

"Who exactly are you?"

Ganondorf smiled.

"I am your master. You shall be a master with shadows."

Veran smiled.

"I'll do my best, master. How do I use my powers?"

Ganondorf paused. He shrugged.

"I have no idea. Try to see if you can do something with shadow."

Veran nodded and she closed her eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, she turned black and a couple minutes later, she reappeared, but she wasn't in her regular form! Jaska and Ganondorf gasped in shock. Veran looked at both of them in confusion.

"What wrong? Is there something on my face?"

They both shook their heads, still in shock.

"Then why are you both staring at me like that?"

Ganondorf cleared his throat.

"You look just like me."

Jaska held up a mirror. Veran looked into it and gasped in surprise.

"Wow! I didn't know I could do that!"

Ganondorf smiled. A plan was beginning to form in his head.

"Veran, I want you to concentrate on your voice. Try to make it sound like mine."

Veran listened to his voice and then concentrated. She turned black again and then back to Ganondorf again.

"How do I sound now?"

Ganondorf smiled.

"You sound just like me! Well done. Let's go to my castle. I have big plans for you!"

Author's notes.

There we are! As promised, I bring you three chapters before I go back to work tomorrow.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 44**

Everyone was following the two gorons Drexxel and Aurdain as they led them in the direction of the prison cells where the rest of the gorons were being held captive. There was a hidden passage apart from the maze the fairies had failed to spot. Argus, Charlie and Brad had no problems keeping up with the two gorons. Link however was lagging behind. Navi was flying above Charlie's head. She noticed the absence of her companion and she glanced behind and saw Link far behind the rest of the group. She nudged Valerie and Izzy.

"Hey guys! Link is having a hard time keeping up with everybody. I'm going back to see if he's alright."

They nodded silently as she flew back to check on Link. He was panting and sweating. She flew in front of him.

"Are you okay? Is there something wrong with your leg?"

He shook his head.

"Not my leg. My chest hurts where Charlie blasted me. He may have not meant to hurt me, but he did."

Navi face was full of concern and worry for her companion.

"Just sit down here and wait. I'll get everyone to stop."

She flew off and landed on Brad's shoulder. He turned to her.

"What is it, Navi? Is something wrong?"

She nodded.

"Yes there is. It's Link. I think Charlie may have really hurt him!"

Brad cursed in anger.

"I knew it! I knew that was a bad idea from the start. I'm going to have a talk with Charlie!"

He stormed up ahead of the group. Charlie was walking just ahead of Argus. He watched him walk ahead of him and scratched his head in confusion.

"What's wrong with Charlie? He seems mad about something."

Brad was walking beside Charlie glaring at him. Charlie waved at him.

"Hi, Brad. How are you doing?"

Brad pointed a finger at him.

"I told you that shooting Link was a bad idea. Now he's at the back of the group in pain! You're going to pay for that!"

He jumped at Charlie and knocked him down. He started to hit him in the chest with his fist.

"This is for hitting your own friend with magic in the first place!"

Charlie gasped in pain. He was starting to get angry, but he didn't want to seriously injure Brad with his powers. Argus noticed what was happening and tried to pull them apart. Upon hearing the commotion, Drexxel, Aurdain, Valerie and Izzy turned around Drexxel and Aurdain ran up to where the fighting was happening. Drexxel scratched his head in confusion.

"Why are those two fighting?"

Argus glared at him.

"Does it matter? Help me separate these two before they kill each other!"

Drexxel nodded and grabbed a hold of Brad's legs and pulled him clear. Charlie stood up, his eyes glowing bright red in anger.

"If he wants a fight, I'll give him one to remember!"

Charlie's hands started to glow red. He was forming balls of energy, planning to throw them at Brad. Argus grabbed him by the neck and held his other hand close to his face. It was clenched into a fist.

"Stand down! Or you will get my fist into your face! Don't think I won't do it!"

Charlie glared at him.

"Ugh...So be it. But if he tries that again, I won't be stopped and I won't hesitate!"

His hands stopped glowing and Argus released him. He then walked over and picked Brad up and turned him around so they were face to face.

"What was that all about? Why did you attack Charlie? He has new powers and he could've seriously hurt you if I didn't intervene!"

Brad glared at him. He pointed behind Argus at Link struggling to catch up with everybody.

"He injured Link when he tossed magic at him before! Navi told me Link was still hurting from that."

Argus remained silent and walked over to where Link was standing. Navi was perched on his shoulder still concerned for his health. Argus picked him up and set him up on his shoulders.

"Come with me. I'm going to take you and set you down on the ground and we'll see if we can make you feel any better."

Argus walked over and put him on the ground in front of everyone. He was groaning and clutching his chest. Charlie covered his eyes.

"This is all my fault. I shouldn't have shot him with my magic earlier."

Brad glared at him angrily but remained silent.

Argus held up his hand.

Silence! We aren't here to lay blame. We need to heal Link's wound somehow. Anybody have any ideas?"

Navi looked at Valerie and Izzy and they both nodded. They all flew over to Link. They were still glowing orange from the heat resistance spell. Valerie's eyes glowed green and a wave of energy hit both Navi and Izzy. Seconds later, the heat proof spell was removed and they were normal color. Valerie cleared her throat.

"We should be able to create a heal spell. We've done it in the past. With our combined powers, we should be able to do it again."

Argus nodded.

"Very well. Give it your best shot."

Valerie, Navi and Izzy held hands and concentrated. Within seconds, their eyes began to glow bright white. Suddenly, a bright white ball of energy began to form in front of them. Valerie giggled happily.

"We almost got it! Just a little more!"

Suddenly, the white ball vanished. Argus grunted in confusion.

"What happened? Did the spell fail?"

Valerie groaned.

"I'm afraid so. We weren't concentrating hard enough and the ball of energy disappeared."

She looked at Navi and Izzy.

"Come on you two. We can do this. We HAVE to do this for Link's sake."

They both nodded as all three fairies began to concentrate once more. Once again, a white ball began to form in front of them. Still concentrating, Valerie shouted out at the other two.

"Now! Cast it at Link before we lose it again!"

Suddenly, the white ball moved towards Link at an incredible rate of speed. It hit him in a blinding flash of white light. Link was suddenly lifted up into the air and the white light surrounded him and kept circling him. This happened for about three minutes. Shortly after, he was dropped onto the ground. He got up onto his feet and looked around. Argus walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"How do you feel, Link? Is the pain gone?"

Link nodded.

"Yeah I think so. I don't have a pain in my chest anymore."

Brad walked over and started to cheer.

"Alright! That's great news, buddy. You're going to be okay!"

Charlie walked over and held out his hand.

"Link, please accept my most sincere apologies. If it wasn't for me, none of this would have happened."

Link grabbed his hand and shook it.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad I'm okay. Can you do me a favor?"

Charlie nodded.

"Sure. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it for you."

Link smiled.

"That's perfect. I want you and Brad to shake hands and make up. I don't like seeing my friends fight."

Charlie sighed. He wasn't the one that started the fight, but Link was right. He walked over to Brad and held out his hand.

"Sorry about everything that happened. Can we be friends again?"

Brad smiled.

"I would like nothing better. I'm sorry I attacked you."

Brad reached up and grabbed his hand and shook it. Argus smiled at Link.

"That was a great idea, Link. Hopefully they won't fight like that anymore."

Link watched Brad and Charlie talking to each other and laughing. He nodded in agreement.

"I hope they don't either, Argus. I'm going to need those two to cooperate when we end up battling Ganondorf's minions."

Drexxel and Aurdain walked over to where Link and Argus were standing. Drexxel tapped Argus on the shoulder.

"Are we ready to get moving again, chief?"

Argus nodded.

"Yes I believe so. Link is feeling better and Charlie and Brad seemed to have shook hands and made up. Thanks for helping me separate those two earlier."

Drexxel smiled and patted Argus on the back.

"No problem. I was glad to help."

He turned to everybody and made an announcement

"I need everyone to listen! We are nearing the next room on our way to the prison cells. Now, I want everyone to be very careful. Me and Aurdain didn't roll through this next room for a good reason. It's because there is a narrow path to walk on. There are big holes in the rest of the floor that lead straight down to the first floor where the big lava pits are."

Everyone gasped in shock. Drexxel continued his speech.

"Now, the only advice I can give to you guys is this: Watch where you step and whatever you do, don't look down! Does everybody understand?"

Argus, Link, Charlie and Brad nodded in agreement. Drexxel looked up at the fairies.

"I know you three don't have to worry about that, but if you see anybody having trouble, try to help them out somehow."

The three fairies nodded in agreement. Drexxel Walked ahead, with everybody else following closely behind.

Back in his castle, Ganondorf was training Veran to use her powers properly. So far, it was a huge success! She had some of the very same powers Ganondorf had. She even knew how to use telekinesis. Ganondorf turned to her.

"Okay, Veran! Try to send me flying again with your telekinetic abilities!"

Veran gasped.

"Are you sure, master? I don't want to hurt you."

Ganondorf smiled. He was touched how she was so concerned for his well being.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Give me everything you've got!"

Veran nodded. Her eyes glowed bright blue and suddenly, Ganondorf was raised up into the air and then thrown hard against a nearby wall. He grunted in pain. Her power was incredible! It had taken him years to master even the basics of telekinesis. Yet she had mastered the basics in a few short hours of training. She ran over to Ganondorf.

"Are you okay, master? I didn't hurt you did I?"

He shook his head.

"That hurt, but I'm okay. You don't have to call me master. Call me by my name Ganondorf."

Veran smiled.

"Okay, Ganondorf. What do you want me to do now?"

Ganondorf stood in front of her.

"We'll train some more. Then I'm going to send you out into Hyrule to hunt down Vaati and Dark Link. Now, toss one of your shadow balls at me."

Veran closed her eyes and concentrated. Within seconds, she had a shadow ball formed. She released it and sent it flying towards him. When it hit him, it sent him flying. He then teleported and appeared in front of her. She gasped with shock.

"You startled me! You okay?"

Ganondorf cursed in anger. At first, he didn't care. But now, it was beginning to bother him. She wasn't evil at all! She had incredible powers, but she wasn't ruthless at all! He glared at her.

"What's with you? You are a shadow being, yet you don't seem to be very evil. I think I need to have a chat with Saska! Come with me!"

Veran nodded and shrugged.

"I'm sorry. I don't feel very evil. What's going to happen to me?"

Ganondorf glared at her.

"I'm going to ask Saska to try her hand at shadow molding once more. Your body is fine, but I need you to be more evil."

Ganondorf grabbed her hand and teleported out of his castle.

Back in the desert, Saska was just waking up. She nudged jaska to wake her up.

"Wake up, sister! Time to wake up the troops!"

Jaska groaned and got up out of her bed.

"Okay I'm up. Are you okay after last night?"

Saska nodded.

"Yeah I think so. That shadow molding took a lot of energy, but I'm feeling better today."

Suddenly, Ganondorf walked into their tent, with Veran following closely behind. Saska and Jaska gasped and bowed their heads. Ganondorf glared at Saska.

"On your feet, Saksa! I need your help again!"

Saska stood up and saluted.

"What can I do for you?"

Ganondorf pushed Veran foward.

"You can help me by making her actually evil. She's far too nice. She will never be able to hurt anyone the way she is!"

Saska nodded.

"Very well. I can help you with that. But first, Can I send Jaska to wake up the troops?"

He nodded. Saska looked over at Jaska.

"Go wake up the troops and see to it that they get fed."

Jaska nodded and ran off to do her bidding. She then turned her attention to the matter at hand.

"I'm sorry, sir. I think a big part of this magic is trial and error. I will take away her life and replace it with something better."

Veran backed away.

"You're going to do what? I don't want to die! Why do you have to end my life?"

Saska sighed.

"Sorry, Veran. It's necessary. In order to make you more evil, I need to work with your body more."

She turned around and started to run away. Saska held up her hand and stopped her in her tracks. Saska walked up to Veran.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Saska closed her eyes and began to concentrate. A black ball of energy began to from in her hand. She threw it at Veran. She screamed in agony and fell down onto the ground in a heap. Suddenly, she turned black. Saska hesitated. She turned to Ganondorf.

"Before I continue, are you sure you want me to do this? I'll make her more evil, but she won't be the same."

He nodded.

"I need someone evil like me. Keep going."

Saska nodded. She reached into Veran's body and brought forth her life force. It was a glowing white ball of pure energy. Saska concentrated and added a lot of dark power to it. Suddenly, it began to glow dark black. She nodded in satisfaction.

"That should be it. Now, when I put this back in her, she will come to life again once I cast the shadow molding spell. I think she will moody and unpredictable, so watch what you say. She will also remember whatever you may have taught her."

Ganondorf nodded as Saska placed her life force back into her body. She then cast the shadow molding spell on her. She turned back to normal. She opened her red eyes and glared at Ganondorf.

"So am I better yet?"

Ganondorf nodded.

"I'm hoping so. How do you feel?"

Veran grinned.

"I feel very powerful. I also feel like hurting somebody."

Ganondorf decided to administer a test to see if she was evil or just pretending.

"Veran, my arm hurts from earlier."

Veran smiled.

"What do I care if your arm hurts? Don't make me angry or will have more than just a sore arm!"

Ganondorf smiled.

"I am your master, Veran."

Veran glared at him with hatred. He said the wrong thing. She concentrated and formed a shadow ball and threw it at Ganondorf. It hit him and sent him flying. Veran rose into the air and was floating above him.

"I am nobody's servant! You will do well to remember that! Next time you say that, I'll send you flying with my telekinesis!"

Ganondorf rose. Saska expected Ganondorf to attack her. Instead, he laughed aloud.

"Yes! That's more like it. You're actually evil now! You are not my servant, Veran. I apologize."

Veran nodded.

"You'd better be sorry!"

Ganondorf grinned.

"Now, I need you to help me with something. I want you to rough up a few people for me. The first person is that deserter Vaati. He may be hard to find, but he won't be hard to spot. He has black hair and he's wearing black armor like me! The second person is that traitor Dark Link! I believe his friends call him Charlie now. The last person is the most important person of all. His name is Link. He wears green clothes and he's followed by a fairy named Navi. If you can, try to rough him up and then capture him. I'll be watching your progress from my castle. Before you go, I want to make you look less threatening."

Veran looked at him in confusion.

"How are you planning on doing that?"

Ganondorf smiled.

"I'm not going to do anything. You're going to do a little shape shifting. First, give yourself a normal color on your skin and then turn your eyes blue."

Veran sighed.

"This sounds stupid, but whatever."

She turned black. When she turned back, her skin was a normal color and she had beautiful blue eyes. Ganondorf nodded.

"That's better. I don't think your purple robe will rouse any suspicion. Now go and find those people for me, Veran, and make me proud!"

Veran sighed and disappeared. Ganondorf turned around and faced Saska.

"Thanks for your help once again. Now, I'm going back to my castle. Keep up the good work!"

Suddenly, he disappeared a cloud of smoke. A few minutes later, Jaska walked in. She looked around the tent.

"Where is Ganondorf? Is he still here?"

Saska shook his head.

"No. He just left. Are the troops awake and eating?"

She nodded.

"Yes. They woke up without too much trouble or grumbling this morning."

Saska didn't answer. Jaska noticed that she seemed distracted.

"What's wrong, sister? Is something bothering you?"

She nodded.

"Yeah. Ganondorf made me give Veran a new personality. She is more evil now. She even attacked Ganondorf after he called himself her master."

Jaska nodded.

"Okay. It's too bad he was attacked, but what's the problem?"

Saska sighed.

"He never told us the full story of what happened between him and Vaati. He just said he was betrayed by him. I have a feeling Ganondorf drove Vaati away."

Jaska nodded.

"While that may be, what exactly are you getting at?"

Saska sighed.

"What if Ganondorf does the same thing to Veran? With her strong powers, she might end up really hurting him."

Jaska smirked.

"I don't think he would do something like that."

Saska nodded.

"Maybe you're right. I really hope he doesn't though. I'm not sure, but I think adding all that dark power to Veran was a mistake. If he ends up making her mad, he'd better be ready for a fight!"


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 45**

Drexxel and Aurdain opened the door to the next room. Remembering Drexxel's advice, everyone tried to be careful. Brad gulped nervously.

"This is scary. Who would've known there would be a room with a floor crumbling beneath us?"

Link reached over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Courage, Brad. I know you can do this if you put your mind to it. I'm a little scared myself. I don't want the floor to give away as we step on it."

Drexxel turned to address everyone once more.

"I want you humans to go across first. You are lighter and you shouldn't break the path. Me, Aurdain and Argus will cross last."

Argus nodded and grinned happily. He patted Drexxel on the back.

"Way to go, brother. That's the way to do things. You would make a great patriarch in our clan."

Drexxel scuffed his feet on the ground in embarrassment.

"Thanks, chief. I'm honored that you think that."

Link walked ahead to cross first. He watched his step and took his time. He made it across and sighed with relief. He turned around. Brad was next to cross. He shouted words of encouragement over to him.

"It's not as hard as you may think, pal. You can do this. You're the most skilled swordsman I've ever met."

Swelling with pride from Link's words, he started to cross, his mouth dry with fear. About halfway across, the walkway started to crumble beneath him. Charlie was watching Brad's progress and he saw what was happening. He ran over to warn Brad.

"Brad! Keep moving! The floor is about to give out where you are standing!"

Brad gasped in shock and looked down. Suddenly, the floor gave out and Brad started to fall down to the lava pit below! Everyone gasped in shock. Link screamed with rage.

"BRAD! I should've carried you on my shoulders! Now you're gone!"

Without even thinking for his own safety, Charlie ran over and dove down into the hole to try and rescue Brad. Link screamed in shock.

"I can't believe this! Not you too, Charlie! Why did you do that?"

Argus called over to Link.

"They'll be alright. Just you wait and see."

Link sighed.

"I have my doubts, but I hope you're right."

Brad was in a blind panic. He was falling at an incredible rate of speed and there wasn't any way to stop. What was going to happen to the kokiri without him? For that matter, what was going to happen to Link and the resistance? His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by an object beside him. He turned and he realized that it was Charlie. He laughed hysterically.

"I must be seeing things. How could you have caught up with me? That's impossible. You can't be real."

Charlie smiled.

"Believe me, I'm real. I dove down to rescue you. I'm not exactly sure how I caught up with you though."

Brad looked down. They were almost at the bottom floor. The lava pit was in plain view below them. Brad turned to Charlie.

"Okay. If you're going to do something, you might want to try it now! Before we end up as permanent residents of this temple."

Charlie nodded. He understood what he meant. He grabbed a hold of Brad's hand and concentrated quickly. Within seconds, Charlie teleported them. Brad opened his eyes, expecting to be in the lava. He looked around. They were both on solid. They ended up teleporting on the one side of the broken bridge. Unfortunately, it was the wrong side! Brad turned to Charlie and grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously.

"Thank you for diving down and saving my life. I am eternally in your debt. I am never going to fight or argue with you again. I owe you my life."

Charlie smiled.

"See? I told you that I cared about what happened to you guys. These powers are incredible and I will try to never use them against you. I'm glad Argus talked some sense into me earlier."

Brad smiled.

"Me too, pal. Now, how are we going to get up to Link and the others?"

Charlie looked up and sighed.

"I don't know. The only way I can think of getting back to them is by somehow getting across this lava pit and working our way back."

Brad groaned.

"But that will take us forever! Can't you just teleport us back up there?"

Charlie shrugged.

"I can teleport myself across great distances, but when I try to take someone else far by teleporting, it fails. Remember when that happened earlier?"

Brad nodded. Suddenly, an idea began to form in his mind.

"Okay then. What if you go back up there and let everyone know I'm okay? In the meantime, I will wait for everyone at the entrance to the temple."

Charlie thought his idea over and then nodded.

"That sounds like a good idea to me. Sorry you have to sit this one out."

Brad shrugged.

"It's alright. I don't like this place anyway."

He turned around and walked back to the entrance of the temple. Charlie began to concentrate hard. He would need to in order to teleport all the way back up to Link and the others.

Link glanced down the hole, wondering if both Charlie and Brad survived their fall. He looked over at the gorons.

"I don't think it's safe for you guys to cross now. I know the lava wouldn't hurt you, but the fall probably would."

Argus nodded.

"You're right, brother. I don't know what to do."

Suddenly, their thoughts were interrupted as Charlie appeared beside Link. Link cheered. He was very happy to see his friend alive and well.

"Charlie! You're okay. I'm so glad you didn't get hurt. Where's Brad? Please don't tell me he fell in the lava!"

Charlie shook his head.

"He is just fine. He went back to the entrance because I am unable to teleport people to great distances yet."

Argus smiled as he shouted over at Charlie.

"Don't worry about it, brother. As long as you and Brad are okay, that's all that matters."

Drexxel chuckled.

"Too bad Brad's back at the entrance. He's gonna miss out on all the fun!"

Navi glared at him.

"Really? What fun are you talking about? This place has been a nightmare so far. Bridges keep collapsing behind us and people are almost getting killed. I don't know if I can handle much more of this fun."

Aurdain smacked Drexxel across the back of the head.

"She's right you know. Don't be suck a knucklehead. But onto more serious matters, how are we going to cross this now? It must've weakened after we crossed it the first time."

Argus turned to Drexxel.

"Is there any other way to reach the prison cells?"

He shook his head slowly.

"I don't believe so. Our best bet is crossing this."

Aurdain shook his head.

"Our of the question, Drexxel. Can't you see that big hole in the floor that Brad fell through?"

Charlie was racking his brain for a solution to their problem. The only thing he could think of was trying to teleport the gorons. But he knew his teleporting ability seriously needed work. He shrugged. What was worst that could happen by just trying? If anything, the practice might help. He cleared his throat.

"I can try teleporting you guys one at a time. It's not that far, so I might be able to pull it off."

Valerie butted in.

"But remember what happened back at the lava pit below us? You tried to teleport Brad and it failed."

Charlie glared at her.

"If you were listening to what I just said, you would've known that it's not as far. That lava pit was a long stretch. This isn't very far at all."

Izzy smiled.

"I think we should at least let Charlie try his idea. If it doesn't work, then we can explore other options."

Argus grinned at Izzy's statement.

"Now I see why Brad has you with him. You are a rock of good sense. Okay, Charlie. I'll be your first attempt at this. Try to teleport me."

Charlie nodded and teleported and appeared beside Argus. He then grabbed his enormous hand and concentrated. Within seconds, they both disappeared and they reappeared on the other side with Link. Argus held his head.

"Wow... That felt very weird. You're lucky to have an awesome power like that."

Charlie nodded.

"That I am. I'm not sure what I would do without them now. This time, I want to try to teleport both Drexxel and Aurdain at the same time."

Link gasped.

"Are you sure you have the skills to do that?"

He shrugged.

"I'll never know until I try. I'll be back, hopefully with the two gorons."

He concentrated and teleported beside Aurdain. He held out both hands, one in Drexxel's direction and the other in Aurdain's. He looked at both of them with a determined look in his eyes.

"Hold onto my hands tightly you guys but don't crush it. Let's try this."

They each grabbed Charlie's hands. He began concentrating. He had to maintain a high level of concentration in order to make this work. Charlie's hands began to glow dark black. Drexxel and Aurdain felt nervous. Suddenly, Charlie cried out and released a wave of power. Shortly after, Charlie teleported with the two gorons in tow. Seconds later, they all appeared on the other side with Argus and Link. Charlie sat down on the floor. He was breathing heavily. Link was worried and he rushed over to him.

"Charlie, are you okay, pal?"

He looked up at Link weakly and nodded.

"Yeah. I just need to take a break. That took a tremendous amount of power. I'm wiped right now."

Argus nodded understandingly.

"That's fine. Now that we are across that chasm, we can take a short rest."

They all sat down close to the door into the next room, waiting for Charlie to regain his strength.

Vaati was walking out in the fields of Hyrule, trying to think of a way to defeat Link and his friends. He couldn't seem to hit them with any sort of attack while Charlie had those powers still. He sat down on the ground and tried to think of a strategy.

Meanwhile, Veran had spotted Vaati. The description Ganondorf had given her was exact. Now she only had to fool him into trusting her. She grinned evilly, her black hair flowing in the breeze. Her charm would ultimately spell his demise! She started to walk in his direction.

Vaati was busy still attempting to think up a strategy. He never noticed the girl with black hair and blue eyes behind him. Suddenly, Vaati heard someone calling him.

"Hey you! What are you doing?"

Without turning around, he replied back.

"None of your business! Now go home before you get hurt!"

The voice answered back, this time more softly.

"Now why would I do that before I got your name, handsome?"

Vaati cursed in anger. This peasant was asking for it.

"I said go away!"

He turned around and gasped. The voice belonged to a beautiful black haired girl with blue eyes. She wore a long purple robe. She smiled sweetly.

"My name is Veran. What's yours, handsome?"

He stammered a reply. He couldn't help it. She was so beautiful!

"V-V-Vaati. N-n-nice to meet you."

She grinned. Her plan was working perfectly!

"Likewise. So, what are you doing out here by your lonesome on a beautiful day like this?"

Vaati wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Uh, I don't think you should hang around me, Veran."

She cocked her head to one side.

"Oh? Why not? What's so bad about hanging around with you? Your black hair is simply stunning!"

He blushed with embarrassment.

"Thanks, but I'm an evil sorcerer. You should head back to Kakariko."

She grinned evilly.

"Oh I'm not going anywhere. I'm here to teach you a lesson, traitor!"

He was taken aback. He grinned at her.

"What lesson are you going to teach me? A beauty lesson? A sewing lesson perhaps?"

She shook her head.

"Not exactly. I was sent here by King Ganondorf to teach you a lesson in pain!"

Suddenly, she turned black and when she was normal, she looked different. Her skin was a pale purple and she had glowing red eyes. His black eyes glinted dangerously.

"You're messing with the wrong person. I should've known that fool would send somebody after me! Well? What are you waiting for? Let's see what you're capable of."

Veran laughed.

"Very well. Prepare yourself! This is going to hurt."

Vaati concentrated and attempted to form a shadow ball. Veran's eyes glowed bright red. Suddenly, Vaati lifted into the air. He gasped with shock. What was happening? Suddenly, with a tremendous amount of power and force, he was hurled back onto the ground. He groaned in pain.

"So, Ganondorf actually grew a brain and sent a worthy adversary after me. Let's see how you handle this!"

Vaati suddenly began floating in the air. With quick concentration, he began to hurl fireballs at Veran. Her eyes glowed blue and a magical shield formed around her body. The fireballs bounced harmlessly off. Veran grinned.

"Nice try! You have to do better than that to defeat me! Unlike you, I am composed completely of dark energy. I can bend my body and change my appearance. Observe!"

She turned black once more. Her body started to bend and twist into a bigger figure. When she reappeared, Vaati gasped in shock. She turned into Ganondorf! She grinned evilly.

"So, what's your next move, boy?"

Vaati gasped. She even sounded like Ganondorf. The thought made him shudder. He attempted to cast a shadow ball at her. It hit her, but it did absolutely nothing. She grinned.

"Did I forget to mention? Since I'm made out of dark energy, I can also absorb dark energy like your shadow ball!"

Vaati groaned. This fight was beginning to feel hopeless. Veran cast a lightning spell at Vaati. He tried to dodge it, but it was too fast. It hit him directly in the chest. He yelled in pain and fell down in a heap. Veran turned black and reverted back to her normal self. She walked up to Vaati and kicked him in the chest. He groaned weakly.

"You're not so tough anymore! You truly saw what I was capable of. Now, I'm going to get Link and his friends. I'm going to let you live, so count yourself lucky!"

She disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Vaati groaned weakly. He was only half conscious. If she found Link, he was in trouble. He smiled weakly. At least he would finally get a thrashing, even if it wasn't him doing the thrashing. Vaati groaned once more as he went unconscious in the fields of Hyrule near Lon Lon Ranch.

Author's notes.

4,000 page views on my story! Woo hoo! I wish to thank everyone for taking the time to read and review my story. It's been a hard task, but I really like how it's coming out. This is WAY better than the story I wrote when I was 12!


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 46**

Vaati was having an unusual dream. In his dream, he was in a forest. When he looked around, he noticed Link and Charlie were beside him smiling and laughing. He saw Link reach over and pat him and Charlie on the backs heartily. He then began to speak.

"_It's good to have you two here! At least I'm not stuck in this world alone now. No matter what happens here, I just know that we'll be friends to the end!"_

Vaati deduced that this must have been when he and Charlie just arrived here and he was still Max. Suddenly, the dream took an unusual shift. Link and Charlie disappeared and they were replaced with Saska and Jaska. Suddenly, the world around him changed and within a few seconds, he found himself back in castle town before it was destroyed. He was in the guardhouse. Saska and Jaska drew their scimitars and pointed them at him. They glared at him with hatred and started to run towards him. He turned and started to run away from them. He could faintly see Charlie ahead of him. Jaska grinned and formed a ball of energy in her hand and tossed it at him. It struck him in the back. He could hear both the gerudos laughing at him. Jaska lifted him off of his feet and they were face to face.

"_Sorry, kid! You're working for us whether you want to or not!"_

He heard himself groan and reply to her comment.

"_Yes, master."_

He looked over at Saska and she was laughing with delight.

_Well done, sister! Now we have a potential recruit! He will do exactly what we tell him now, right?"_

Saska smiled and nodded to her sister. Suddenly, the whole dream began to fade away. Vaati woke up in shock. That dream was almost real! But what did it mean? Was he becoming insane? He quickly dismissed it and looked around to see where he was. He was in a tidy bedroom. Pictures of horses covered the walls. There was even a picture of a small red haired girl standing beside a balding middle aged man. Suddenly, he heard two people arguing right outside the room. One was a girl's voice and the other voice belonged to a man.

"Why did we bring that strangly dressed man here, Ingo? Don't you think he looks dangerous?"

The man snorted.

"Dangerous? Even if he is, he's in no condition to fight. Some of the burns I treated are severe."

The girl groaned.

"Oh great! What did you do? What if that man is a psychopath?"

The man laughed.

"Last time I checked, I was in charge, Malon! If you don't like it, you can get out of here and join your father out in the wilderness!"

Vaati heard something clatter on the floor.

"I swear to god, Ingo. If anything bad happened to my dad, I'll have your head on a pike! He may have been lazy, but he was a fair man and you had no right to kick him out of here!"

The man laughed sarcastically.

"He wasn't fair and he was the laziest worker I've ever seen in my life! I was always doing everything around here! Whenever I went to clean out the stables, I would find him asleep in one corner snoring loudly. I think I did the ranch a huge favor! If you say one more word about me or your father, I'll get out my whip and hit the next horse I see with it!"

She immediately went silent. She mumbled a quiet apology.

"Sorry, Ingo. I'll keep quiet and get back to work. Do you want me to check on that man?"

He grunted.

"Yes and make it snappy!"

He walked away from the room and he heard a door slam shut.

She opened the door to the room and walked in. Vaati rose from the bed. Malon smiled at him.

"Take it easy. According to Ingo, you were beat up pretty bad. My name is Malon. What is your name?"

Vaati gulped nervously. If she discovered his true identity, he might get kicked out. He stammered a reply.

"M-m-my name is...Max!"

She smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Max. Now, you just get some rest. Give a holler if you need anything, ok?"

He nodded nervously and she left the room, and closed the door. If they figured out who he was, he would be in trouble. The fight with Veran left him sore and vulnerable. If he got in a fight, he wold surly lose in his current state. He groaned and laid back down on the bed and closed his eyes. He began to think about Link and the tiny resistance movement in Kakariko. If Veran ever got in Kakariko, the village would be in total caos. He cursed under his breath. He wanted to be out of this room and fighting! He wanted to get revenge on Veran! He groaned. He dismissed it from his mind and drifted off to slumber once more.

Link and his traveling companions finally made their way past the unstable floor and into the next room. The room stretched out in both directions as far as they could see. There were stone pillars stuck into the ground everywhere. There was a big steel door straight ahead of them and a smaller door closely beside it. Aurdain explained the significance of the pillars to everyone while drexxel listened.

"Whatever you do, don't go near those pillars. Most of them are traps. If you go near them, they shoot out fire from the sides. Our destination is just ahead. That big door ahead of us leads to the prison cells. There is something valuable in that door next to the big one. When I was captive, I heard someone talking about a hidden treasure. We will rescue everyone first. Then we will see what lies behind the other door. Is everyone okay with that?"

Link sighed. He wished Brad was there with him. He nodded. As did everyone else. Aurdain nodded decisively.

"Okay then. Let's go free those gorons!"

Audain charged at the steel door. He started punching it with all his might. Drexxel and Argus ran up and joined him. Argus grinned at him.

"We weren't about to let you break this door down alone, brother!"

Audain smiled.

"Thanks, chief. I appreciate your help. Now, all together now. Let's match our punches If we all hit this door at the same time, the force should break this door down!"

They nodded and tried their best to match punches hit by hit. Within a few minutes, the steel door was getting bent in and it started to buckle. Suddenly, it broke off it's rusty hinges and fell inwards. Argus grinned with satisfaction.

"Now that's what I call goron power! Let's get these gorons out of here!"

Link patted him on the back.

"Way to go, Argus. You guys worked well as a team. I've never seen such an impressive display of strength."

Argus scuffed his foot on the ground in embarrassment.

"It was nothing, brother. Thanks for the compliment."

All the gorons cheered and walked up to Argus, Drexxel and Aurdain and patted them on their backs. They were overjoyed to be free once again. A few gorons expressed their thanks.

"Thanks so much, brother! I thought we were going to be dragon food."

"I was going stir crazy. Good thing you rescued us when you did!"

"I can't wait to get out of here and get back home."

Argus held up his hands to silence everyone.

"Thank you, everyone. It was no problem. Does anybody know where Darunia is?"

All the gorons looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. One of them spoke for everyone.

"I don't think he was captured. Brother. I think he went straight to the dragon's chamber. Now, let us out of here!"

Navi flew onto Link's shoulder and whispered into his ear.

"Hey Link, don't you think we're getting a little overcrowded? How are we going to fight that dragon with all these gorons around?"

Link shrugged and whispered back to her.

"I'm not sure. You go and tell them they can't come with us. I don't want to offend them. Tell you what, if I see a way to get them out of here, we'll send them out before we battle the dragon agreed?"

Navi nodded.

"Fine. Have it your way, Link. I just hope we can send them back home. With this many bodies in the dragon's chamber, we'll get toasted for sure because we won't be able to move."

Link ignored her as he went over to Argus. He was cheering and hugging his fellow comrades. He patted him on the back.

"Are we almost ready to go, Argus? We have to take care of that dragon, remember?"

Argus nodded.

"You're right, brother. We should get moving. We can go into the room beside this one and get whatever is inside."

Argus Walked in front of everyone and made an announcement.

"Alright, everyone! We are moving out! Just follow me, Link, Charlie, Drexxel and Aurdain. We are going into the room next to here. There may be a treasure of some sort inside. Now let's go."

They all walked outside and crowded around the door next to the prison. All together, there were twenty five gorons. Izzy and Valerie were whispering to each other. Izzy cleared her throat.

"I wonder why those guys needed us to come along with them? They broke down the door while we watched."

Valerie nodded in agreement.

"I know what you mean. What's the deal with those captured gorons anyway? Why didn't they break the door down themselves?"

Unknown to both the fairies, Argus could hear them. He walked over angrily to the fairies and faced them.

"So, talking about my people behind my back are we? Why do you think they never broke out? Probably because they were weakened from being imprisoned! Now, if you've got concerns about my tribe, don't whisper to each other. Talk to me instead. Just don't insult my tribe again or you will be sorry!"

Valerie and Izzy gulped nervously. Argus usually didn't make empty threats. He walked over to the smaller door and slammed his fist into it in anger. It flew off the hinges easily. Link noticed all of the gorons were glaring at Izzy and Valerie. He walked over to the two fairies.

"What did you guys say? Argus is really angry and I think his tribe is now too."

Charlie walked up beside him.

"I think they insulted the gorons somehow. Argus still looks angry. I want to try an idea I just had. I want to try and combine my powers with Navi, Izzy and Valerie and see if I can teleport the gorons out of here. It's risky because we might all get drained of energy for quite a while."

He turned to the three fairies.

"What do you guys think. Want to give it a try?"

All three of them nodded, Charlie started to focus his powers, as did the three fairies. They focused all of their energy into Charlie. He was having trouble maintaining focus. Suddenly, he let out a bellow.

"Yeeeaaaargh!"

Suddenly, all of the freed gorons were gone, along with Drexxel, Aurdain and Argus. Charlie collapsed onto the ground. The same thing happened to Navi, Izzy and Valerie. Link gasped and ran over to Charlie and shook him.

"Charlie! Are you okay, pal?"

He looked into Link's eyes weakly.

"I will be in a little while. I should quit teleporting people. It drains my energy completely. At least we...pulled it off, right fellas?"

He looked over at the three fairies. All three of them were lying on the ground breathing heavily. Navi lifted her head and looked over at Charlie.

"Yeah we did. Where did the gorons end up?"

Charlie put his head down on the ground.

"I-I Teleported them to the entrance of the temple where I put Brad.. Go inside the room and see what lies inside."

Link nodded and walked inside. There were strange carvings all over the walls. At the very back of the room, there was a big treasure chest. Link opened it and there was a big shiny hammer inside. He tried to lift it and it was like picking up a small rock on a handle. The thing weighed a ton! He grunted and held it in his hands. Something was inscribed on the handle. On closer inspection, it read:_ "Megaton Hammer"_ Link smirked. At least the name fit. The hammer was really heavy. He walked out to where Charlie and the three fairies were resting Charlie lifted his head and looked at the object Link was carrying.

"What do you have there? Is that a hammer?"

He nodded.

"Yeah it is. But just any hammer. This is called the Megaton Hammer and let me tell you, it lives up to it's name! This thing is going to be a burden to carry around!"

Valerie smiled.

"We'll help you figure something out when we feel better. By the way, we found something you may be able to pound down with it. It may be a quicker way down to the bottom floor. Look over to the right."

Link looked over and he saw a huge pillar sticking out of a large platform. Stairs led up to it. He nodded.

"I see what you're trying to show me. We'll take a look once you guys feel better. Until then, I'm staying here until you guys are fit to travel again. No need to worry about the gorons now. We just got a dragon to kill."

Link sat down in front of the prison entrance with his friends, waiting for them to regain their strength.

Brad was at the entrance of the temple. He was incredibly bored. He was grateful that Charlie saved his life, but he wished he could've teleported him back up with Link and the gang. Suddenly, he heard some rumbling close by. He drew his scimitar, expecting to find trouble. Suddenly, the door to the huge lava pit opened and Argus and a bunch of gorons walked out. Brad sighed with relief and sheathed his blade. He walked over to Argus and smiled at him.

"Am I ever glad to see you. I thought you were monsters coming to get me."

Argus looked at him and laughed.

"Good one, brother! Me and my tribe are heading home. Do you want to come with us?"

Brad shrugged.

"Sure I guess, but where are Link and the others? And how did you get down here in the first place?"

Argus smiled.

"Link and the others are still on the top floor. Charlie got help from the fairies and managed to teleport us down here. Now, let's move! I'll have two guards posted in the crater and they will give me word when Link and the others are back."

Brad was confused.

"But aren't you going to help Link with that dragon?"

Argus shook his head.

"If he found what I think he did, that dragon doesn't stand a chance!"

Ganondorf was in a foul mood. He had just come from the Spirit Temple. He went to visit Kotake and Koume and they showed him a vision of the future. They showed him the defeat of the dragon in the Fire Temple. He called Veran by means of telepathy. He sat inside Saska and Jaska's tent. Suddenly, Veran appeared in front of him. She bowed.

"You summoned me, Ganondorf? What is it you want?"

Ganondorf smiled at her.

"So, how goes your mission? Did you give a thrashing to any of your targets?"

She nodded.

"Yes. I gave Vaati a thrashing. I left him unconscious in a field. I haven't got anybody else yet. Why didn't you want me to kill Vaati? He DID betray you, didn't he?"

Ganondorf nodded.

Yes he did. But I want him to suffer before I decide to have him killed. I have another job for you. With any luck, you may be able to get both Link and Charlie. I want you to infiltrate the Hyrule Resistance. I had a disturbing look into the future and now I know that dragon is going to be defeated. I figure the best way to gain entry is to wait at the base of Death Mountain and Wait for Link and his friends. Befriend them and earn their trust. Try to keep them distracted while I make my move."

Veran looked at him in confusion.

"What are you planning?"

Ganondorf smiled.

"I'm glad you asked! Saska and Jaska told me that we have one thousand gerudo soldiers here in the desert. I am going to take one quarter of that force and march onto Kakariko and take it for myself. We can then wipe out the Hyrule resistance and use the village as a new base of operations. I can't wait to see Link squirm as I stab him in the heart with my sword!. You have your orders. I am going to march these troops out of the desert and towards Kakariko tomorrow.

Veran saluted him and teleported away to do his bidding. He rubbed his hands together with delight. Once Link and his friends were out of the way, nobody would be able to stand between him and world domination.


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 47**

Vaati woke up feeling refreshed. He was no longer in pain from the encounter with Veran earlier and he was ready to find her and exact his revenge. He got up out of the bed and walked over to the door. He heard Ingo and Malon arguing again. He waited and listened in on their conversation.

"We got to get that guy out of here, Malon. He's bad news and he will only bring us destruction and despair."

"What are you talking about? He seems like a nice guy. Why would he hurt us after we helped him?"

Ingo groaned.

"Fine. I'll spell it out for you. That "nice guy" is none other than Vaati, Ganondorf's former son! Rumors that are going around Kakariko suggest Vaati and Ganondorf had an argument and they went their separate ways."

Vaati coughed in surprise. They knew who he was! Malon laughed at Ingo.

"Yeah right, Ingo! That's a good one, but I don't believe you. His name is Max and he's not evil!"

Vaati sighed. He opened the door and walked out to face Malon and Ingo. Malon's face was full of concern. She grabbed him by the hand.

"Max, you heard what we were saying didn't you? Tell Ingo your name is Max! Tell him he's wrong!"

Vaati looked at Malon's sad face and then he looked over at Ingo's angry stare. He sighed and looked at Malon.

"He's telling the truth. I lied to you. My name is Vaati and I used to be with Ganondorf."

Malon gasped with shock.

"But, how could you lie to me like that?"

She turned and glared at Ingo.

"So, I was right about him from the start! You should've left him out there! Now he's going to kill us!"

Ingo grabbed a hold of a pitchfork that was hung up on the wall. He pointed it at Vaati.

"I got us into this mess, now I'm going to get us out of it. Show me what you got you evil scum!"

The insult stung Vaati. He sneered at him and he jumped up into the air. Both Malon and Ingo gasped in shock as he floated above them.

"How dare you insult me! I am going to destroy you and your farm while I'm at it!"

He held up his hand. A shadow ball began to form. He grinned evilly as he watched Malon burst into tears. He then proceeded to toss the ball of dark energy at Malon, but something strayed his hand. He found himself unable to do the evil deed. He tried again to toss the shadow ball, this time at Ingo. Once again, it never left his hand. He looked at it in confusion. What was going on? He wanted to hurt these people, but every time he tried to, he failed. He groaned. Something was seriously wrong. He cursed in anger as he looked at the trembling farmers.

"Curse that Veran! She must have laid a curse on me when she hit me. Why else would be unable to hurt you two? This isn't over! When I get my revenge on Veran, I'll be coming back for you two!"

He disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Malon looked at Ingo in confusion.

"I wonder why he couldn't hurt us? Maybe the gods were watching over us this day."

Ingo shrugged.

"I don't know either, but I'm not taking any chances. We will find any tools we can use as weapons and sharpen them well in case he returns!"

Charlie and the three fairies were finally feeling better after combining their powers to teleport the gorons out earlier. They went with Link to investigate the large pillar that Valerie had pointed out. Link groaned as he carried the megaton hammer in his hands. Link turned to Charlie.

"Can you carry this hammer for a while? My arms are sore from carrying it."

Charlie nodded as he took the hammer from Link. He groaned as he felt the weight of the hammer.

"I see what you mean. This thing is very heavy. At least we are almost at that pillar."

They walked up to the platform and climbed the stairs up to the pillar. It wasn't very tall, so Link and Charlie stood on top of it. Link looked at Valerie.

"Are you sure this is going to take us to the bottom floor? What if lava spews out of it when I hit it?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess that could happen. I doubt it though. Just take your hammer and slam it down on the pillar. If anything happens to you or Charlie, I promise we'll heal you."

Link was still feeling uneasy, but what other choices did he have? He didn't want to risk getting Charlie or the fairies exhausted again by teleporting. He turned to Charlie and grabbed the hammer out of his hands. Charlie stood to one side as Link lifted the hammer over his head and brought it smashing down on the pillar. It moved a fraction. Link swung the hammer agin. The pillar started to slide downward slowly, then it stopped. Link groaned. The hammer was getting heavy. He only had enough strength for one more swing, then he would have to let Charlie swing at it. He went to swing the hammer down onto the pillar and suddenly, it started to slide again. Charlie walked over beside Link.

"What's happening, Link? Is the pillar moving again?"

Link nodded as the pillar started to shake, free from whatever was holding it in place. Within seconds, it started to fall downwards, with Link and Charlie screaming and holding on for dear life. Navi and the three fairies gasped with shock and flew over to the hole the pillar made and flew after the pillar. Link and Charlie had their eyes shut and they were clutching each other. They failed to notice the floors they explored whiz by as they continued to fall. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, the pillar landed with a loud _splash!_ Link opened his eyes and looked around. They were in a room filled with lava. He looked to his left and there was a big goron punching at a glowing door. Disrupted by the loud splash, the goron turned around. Link's laughed aloud with joy. It was Darunia!

"Darunia! How are you doing? I haven't seen you in seven years!"

Darunia smiled at human, but didn't recognize him.

"Sorry, human, but who are you? I don't believe we've met. Are you some sort of temple explorer?"

Link was confused. Why didn't Darunia recognize him? He looked down at his body and understood why immediately. It was his fire proof suit that was confusing him! He looked at Darunia and shrugged.

"I guess you could say I'm a temple explorer. It's me, Link. Remember I saved you and your people seven years ago?"

Darunia brightened up immediately.

"Oh, so that's who is under that suit. Well met, brother. It's good to see you again! Do our fire proof suits keep you cool?"

Link nodded.

"Yeah they do. I haven't felt the heat from this place since I put it on."

He reached around beside Charlie, who was still recovering, and grabbed the megaton hammer. He held it up for Darunia to see.

"Look what I found in here. What a heavy hammer."

Darunia gasped.

"That is the legendary hammer spoke of in the legends of my tribe! It is said that a goron hero used that very same hammer to defeat the dragon Volvagia. I believe his name was Damani. The legends say that after he restored peace by defeating the dragon, he returned the hammer to this very temple and left the tribe and headed for a far away land called Termina."

Link nodded as Darunia finished his story.

"That was a very interesting story. So, have you figured out how to get that door open?"

Darunia groaned.

"I'm afraid not. Ganondorf put some sort of magical seal on the door. I need to get in there and defeat that dragon!"

Link nodded sadly.

"So it's true what Argus told me. Ganondorf resurrected Volvagia."

Darunia growled angrily as he pounded on the door again.

"Correct! Now I've got to get in there and kill that beast! If that thing escapes the mountain, he will turn all of Hyrule into a burning wasteland!"

Link wasted no time. He grabbed Charlie's shoulders and shook him.

"Wake up, Charlie! We need to help Darunia and stop that dragon!"

Charlie groaned and opened his eyes.

"Darunia? Dragon? Slow down! What are you talking about?"

Darunia turned around and saw Link trying to explain the situation to Charlie. He jumped into the lava and swam towards Link and Charlie.

"No time to explain! We need to break the seal on that door. I'm coming to take you guys over to that door!"

Charlie held up his hands pleadingly.

"No need for that. I can teleport over there."

Charlie disappeared and reappeared in front of the door. Darunia stopped swimming and looked at him in shock.

"What manner of power is that?"

He looked at Link

"Can you do that too?"

Link shook his head.

"I wish I could. It would make my life a lot easier!"

Darunia continued to swim towards him. He came right over to the edge of the pillar.

"How am I going to get you over there? The lava is too deep fro you to hold onto my back. Can your friend teleport you there?"

Link looked over at him.

"What do you think, Charlie? It's not that far."

Charlie teleported back to the pillar.

"Let's give this another try."

Charlie grabbed Link by the arm and concentrated. Within seconds, he teleported over to the door with Link still holding on! Link let go and patted him on the back.

"You pulled it off by yourself. Way to go, buddy."

Charlie was surprised. He never expected it to work. He was about to reply when Darunia disrupted them. He pulled himself up onto the platform. Link was amazed at his swimming speed.

"How did you get here so fast? That was amazing!"

Darunia grinned.

"Thanks, brother. I may be getting old, but I'm still a very good swimmer. Now, does anybody got any ideas how to open this door?"

Link shook his head

"No, but I know who might. Our three fairy traveling companions. They should be here by now."

Almost as if they heard him, the three fairies flew down from the hole the pillar had made. They looked around and spotted Link and Charlie and flew over in their direction. When they flew over to them, they were breathing heavily. Navi perched on Link's shoulder, while Valerie and Izzy perched on Charlie's shoulders. Navi gasped in exhaustion.

"We...finally ...caught up with you two. Link is that...Darunia?"

Link nodded.

"Yes it is, but we can catch up later. Right now, we need to get this door open"

Navi looked at the huge door in front of them. It was glowing bright green. She turned to Valerie.

"What do you think, Val? Do you think we have the power to break through that magical barrier?"

Valerie groaned.

"We might. I just need a couple minutes to catch my breath."

Darunia glared at her.

"I'm not trying to be rude, but we don't have a couple minutes. We need in there now."

Charlie stood in front of the door.

"Let me see if I can break this seal with a powerful shadow ball."

Charlie concentrated and formed a big shadow ball. It glowed purple and red. Darunia backed away.

"Ye gods! I'm glad he's on our side!"

Charlie backed up and hurled it at the door. The magical barrier weakened when the shadow ball hit. Link patted him on the back.

"Nice job. Just one more blast and it will be broken!"

Charlie nodded as he concentrated once more. Link decided to try and concentrate too and attempted to form a fireball. He began to form a small fireball in his hand. He concentrated harder. He hadn't made a fireball in quite awhile and he needed more practice. Within a few seconds, it gradually got bigger. He looked over at Charlie. He had a big shadow ball formed.

"Are you ready to toss your shadow ball?"

Charlie opened his eyes and looked at Link. He smiled.

"Nice fireball. Toss it at the door at the same time I toss my shadow ball. Ready?"

Link nodded.

"Now!"

Link hurled his fireball at the door and Charlie hurled his shadow ball at the door. They both hit at almost the exact same time. The barrier disappeared on the door. Darunia shook his head in amazement.

"Wow. You guys are amazing! I've seen everything now! Link can toss fireballs and Charlie looks like a shadow and he can teleport and use all manners of dark magic. How did you come to look like a shadow anyway, Charlie?"

He held up his hands.

"I'll tell you later. Let's go kill ourselves a dragon!"

They all nodded in agreement as they opened the door to the dragon's chamber and walked inside.

Veran was sitting against a rock wall in front of Kakariko Village. She was in a foul mood. She realized that she was getting ordered around like a servant! She didn't want to infiltrate anything! She wanted to be leading the army towards that pitiful village. Suddenly, she thought of a brilliant idea! She had to talk to Ganondorf. She grinned evilly and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Ganondorf was getting ready to march out of the desert and towards Kakariko Village with two hundred and fifty gerudo soldiers. He was anxious to get moving because traveling such a distance took a long time. It would take approximately three days to cross the huge desert and get to Kakariko. That was also depending on how many rest stops they took. Ganondorf surveyed the female soldiers. They were all anxious to get marching. He still couldn't believe that all his soldiers were women. Only one man was born every hundred years. That man was to become the king of gerudos. Ganondorf was the most recent King. Ganondorf made an announcement.

"Alright, troops. We are just about to move out. When we eventually get there, we will offer terms for surrender. If they accept my terms, I will let them live only to serve us. If they don't accept them, they will be killed. Your general Saska assures me that all of you are fighting fit, so don't let me down. General Saska and Major Jaska, you are coming along! Nabooro knows what we are planning and assured me that she would take care of our remaining troops. Let's march!"

All the gerudos held up their long spears and cheered. They were just about to get moving when Veran appeared in front of Ganondorf. He glared at her.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be near Kakariko waiting for Link and his friends!"

She gritted her teeth in anger, but tried to answer as calmly as she could.

"I need to have a word with you in private. It's important."

Ganondorf curled his lip contemptuously.

"This better be good. We were just about to march."

He addressed the troops.

"I'll be right back, everyone. Just rest for a few minutes."

He walked over with Veran and walked into Saska and Jaska's empty tent. He turned to her.

"Now, what didn't you understand? You're supposed to infiltrate the Hyrule Resistance remember?"

Veran grinned evilly.

"I shall do no such thing!"

She concentrated and formed a ball of green energy. She then hurled it at Ganondorf. He collapsed to the ground. He tried to get up, but he couldn't move! He managed to gasp out some words.

"What have you done to me?"

She laughed silently. She turned black and when she reappeared, she looked like Ganondorf. She grinned. When she talked, she sounded like Ganondorf.

"I used my magic to paralyze you. I am in command now. I'm tired of being ordered around like a servant!"

Ganondorf grinned.

"When my soldiers find me, they will know the truth. You won't get away with this!"

Veran smiled.

"Why, you're right! Thanks for helping me out, Veran!"

Veran created a ball of dark energy. Ganondorf looked at her nervously.

"Why did you call me Veran? Oh no!"

Veran grin widened.

"Oh yes! You're going to look just like me. That way, nobody will believe your story! I will tell them Veran tried to attack me and they will lock you up."

Veran cast the ball of pure dark energy at Ganondorf. He screamed in agony and turned black. When he reappeared, he looked down at himself and groaned. He looked just like Veran! She grinned evilly.

"Well Ganondorf, it's been fun and all, but I've got an army to lead!"

Suddenly, Saska came bursting in the tent. She looked at the disguised Veran. She saluted her, not sensing that anything was amiss.

"Sir! We heard screaming. Is everything alright?"

Veran smiled.

"Perfect timing! Everything is fine now. I managed to paralyze Veran. She tried to attack me. I want her locked up. Just in case she tries to escape, this should help."

Veran concentrated and formed a ball of pink energy and tossed it at Ganondorf's new body. He groaned in pain and it came out in a girl's voice. Veran pointed at the figure.

"Take Veran away and lock her up. Then we will march towards Kakariko."

Saska nodded and blew a bone whistle and six guards appeared and picked up Ganondorf and dragged him away. All the time, he was shouting at the guards and pointing at Veran who was disguised as Ganondorf.

"No you fools! It's me, Ganondorf! That is Veran! Let me go this instant!"

One of the guards smiled.

"Sure you are! Come on, Veran. Let's get you to jail. It's a shame you betrayed Ganondrof. You were a good recruit."

Saska rejoined the troops and Veran turned and addressed them.

"Sorry for the delays, everyone. I didn't think Veran would try anything like that. Let's march!"

The troops cheered and they marched onward, unaware they were being led by an imposter.

Author's notes

There we go! The old switcharoo! Just in case I confused anyone in this chapter, allow me to explain what happened between Veran and Ganondorf. Veran is now Ganondorf in disguise and Ganondorf looks like Veran so nobody will believe anything he says. By the way, thanks for the help, morningdove. I wasn't sure what direction to take with Veran's character. Now I think I took the right one.


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 48**

Susan was having a great time in the Kokiri village with all of the small Kokiri. They reminded her of her own son Tom, who was now called Link for some reason. She couldn't figure out why he changed his name, but she didn't mind too much. She spent her time in the village helping out the Kokiri with their chores and projects around the small village. Over the short time she had spent in the village, she became close friends with the new leader of the Kokiri people, Fado. She worked hard to help her complete the many jobs around the village. She grunted as she carried buckets of water from the nearby well to the different houses in the village. She was beginning to feel weary. This was her eighth trip for water today. After she delivered the buckets of water, she sat down on the ground and let out a long sigh. Maybe she shouldn't have been so eager to help Fado's people. Now every new task around the village got assigned to her without a moment's hesitation. Suddenly, she spotted someone walking up to her. When the figure got closer, Susan realized that it was Fado. She stood up with a groan. Fado held up her hand.

"Take it easy, Susan. I have no more jobs for you today. You can relax now. I just came over to see if you were alright."

Susan looked down at Fado and smiled.

"I'm fine. Thanks for worrying about me, Fado. I needed the break. I was wondering if I could see my son again. I haven't seen him in quite some time. I hope he's alright."

Fado grinned at her.

"You mean Link? He'll be fine. If he runs into trouble, Brad will help him out for sure. Why are you so worried about him all of a sudden?"

She shrugged.

"He's my son. It's a mother's job to worry about their kids when they do something dangerous. I've got to admit, I haven't been this worried about him ever. He's going through dangerous areas and encountering dangerous creatures. What if one of those creatures ended up killing him?"

Fado shook her head.

"Not a chance. Link's a lot better than you give him credit for. Otherwise, he would've probably been dead a long time ago. Don't forget he's got Brad, Navi, Izzy and Valerie to help him out. He'll be fine."

Susan sighed.

"I guess you're right. He also seems to have blended right in here. I still have a hard time believing that I'm in another reality."

Fado nodded.

"Yes. I hardly believed it myself when Saria told me about that. I thought she was telling lies. That's quite the situation you guys are in. If you do one day find a way back to your own reality, are you going to go back?"

She shrugged.

"I have absolutely no idea. Tom voiced his opinions of this place and I think he wants to stay. I'm not about to leave my own son behind. So if he wants to stay here, I'll stay here with him."

Fado smiled.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I hope you guys stay here. You've been a good friend and a huge help to my tribe since you got here."

Susan patted Fado on the back.

"It's been a pleasure helping you guys out. I figured I would since you offered me a place to stay. Now, I have a favor to ask. Is there any way I could see my son again? I miss him so much."

Fado shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. I don't know the world outside these woods. Your son could be anywhere."

Susan shrugged.

"What if I went to find him on my own?"

Fado crossed her arms and shook her head once more.

"Out of the question. You could get lost or injured on your own. No offense, but you don't look capable of defending yourself."

Susan sighed. She was right. She never held any kind of weapon in her life. If something ever did attack her, she would be done for. She looked over at Fado. She was scratching her chin in deep thought.

"What's on your mind, Fado?"

Fado looked up at Susan.

"I may have a way to get you closer to your son. I remember Link mentioning that there was a village nearby. I was thinking of sending a fairy out to scout the area and see if it could find that village."

Susan brightened up.

"It's worth a try. Let's do it!"

Fado nodded. She grabbed a whistle around her neck and blew it. A red fairy appeared in front of her. It was Raz, Mido's old fairy. When Mido was killed over the fight for leadership, Raz needed a new kokiri, but there weren't any other kokiri without fairies. So instead of leaving the village, Raz offered his assistance to the kokiri. He wanted to serve as a scout and a lookout. Brad gladly gave him the job. Raz landed on Fado's shoulder.

"What do you need, boss?"

Fado smiled.

"I need you to go outside the forest and scout out the area and find the village closest to here. When you find it, I want you to find somebody willing to travel here and escort Susan safely to their village."

Raz swelled with pride. He had never been given such an important job before! He laughed aloud.

"I'm on it, chief! Thanks for the job. I've been waiting my whole life for a job like this."

He then flew high up into the air until he out of sight. Fado turned to Susan.

"He'll find the village. No need to worry. He's grown up a lot since Mido was killed."

Susan cleared her throat.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did Mido get killed?"

Fado smiled fondly as she recalled the events leading up to his death.

"I don't mind at all, Susan. He was killed over a fight for leadership. Your son Link and his friend Charlie helped Brad to challenge Mido. He accepted and decided to have a fight. He would've won if your son wasn't paying attention. It was supposed to be a harmless fight, but Mido tried to kill Brad instead. Link tossed Brad a weapon and he stabbed Mido in the heart and that's how he died. We were all overjoyed when his fate was sealed. He was a cruel leader and he never treated us fairly. That all changed when Brad took over as leader. I never thought I would be leader one day though."

Susan smiled.

"Well, I think you do a good job around here, Fado."

Fado turned and hugged Susan. Tears began to flow from her eyes.

"Thank you so much. That's means a lot to me. I'm going to miss you when you leave here."

Susan patted her on the back.

"There there. Don't cry. I won't be that far away. I'll come to visit from time to time."

Fado sniffed.

"You're right. Let's hope Raz succeeds. I have complete faith in him."

As soon as Link and his friends walked into the dragon's chamber, they had an eerie feeling that they were being watched. Darunia looked around carefully. All he could see was pools of bubbling lava. He turned around and cautioned everyone.

"Be careful in here. I don't know where that dragon is, but he knows we're here. Keep your eyes open."

Charlie walked around the silent chamber and kept looking over his shoulder. He couldn't spot the dragon either. Link was on the opposite side of the room walking around. Suddenly, he heard a loud growl coming from behind him. He gulped nervously and turned around. The dragon was standing there. It glared at Link as it inhaled it's breath. Darunia shouted at Link.

"It's about to breath fire! Get out of the way!"

Link gasped and rolled to one side. Sure enough, a big jet of fire spewed out of it's mouth. It missed Link by barely a fraction. Link drew his sword in anger. He swung at the dragon's head. It clinked harmlessly off. Darunia smacked his forehead in frustration. He called over to Link.

"Your sword won't do any damage to that dragon's thick skin. You need that hammer. Where's the megaton hammer?"

Link called back.

"I strapped it to my back before we entered. I'll try to use it."

The dragon tried to bite at Link. He jumped back quickly as he put his sword away and tried to get the megaton hammer off of his back. Charlie ran over to Link and gave him a hand. With a few quick movements, he had the hammer freed. He handed it to Link.

"Here. Give it all you've got!"

The dragon began to inhale his breath. That meant a blast of fire was on the way. With his hammer in his hand, Link walked up closer to the dragon. It breathed fire at Link He reached behind his back and brought forth his shield. The flames hit the shield dead on. Within seconds, the shield was glowing orange from the heat. Link gasped in shock and dropped the shield. It was far too hot to hold. Luckily, the dragon had finished breathing fire. It looked at Link and roared angrily. This foolish human was persistent. It began to flap it's wings and it rose into the air. Darunia saw that Link was in trouble and he ran towards him, while at the same time encouraging everyone else to follow him.

"Come on, everyone! Link is going to be killed if we don't help him!"

Charlie was already standing beside Link. Brad moved towards Link nervously. The dragon was huge! Brad laughed nervously.

"I hope you have some sort of plan, Darunia. I've never seen a dragon before, let alone fought one."

He didn't answer. He just kept running towards Link. The dragon was getting ready to breath more fire. The three fairies were racing towards Link as well. Even if they couldn't stop the dragon, they could at least try to protect Link. The hero of time stood his ground and waited for the dragon to make it's move. A few seconds later, Darunia was beside Link. He looked at him nervously.

"I'm glad I got here when I did, brother. Give me the megaton hammer and I'll deal with this beast."

Link was hesitant.

"Are you sure? I don't want to see you get hurt."

Darunia grinned at him.

"Don't worry about me. I can take any kind of heat that dragon dishes up. I'm more worried about you and your friends. If those flames touch your bodies, you'll be burned to a crisp."

Link nodded and handed him the megaton hammer.

"You're right, but is there anything we can do to help?"

Darunia smiled and shook his head.

"No. Just try to keep clear of it's flames. Now move! He's about to breath fire!"

Link nodded and he reached over to grab his shield, but quickly remembered it was hot and he ran out of the way, as did everyone else. Charlie was nervous about Darunia's plan.

"So he's going to take on the dragon all by himself? Doesn't he need any backup?"

Link was about to answer when Navi interrupted.

"Maybe me, Valerie and Izzy should go over there in case we are needed."

Link shook his head.

"Just stay here with me. He said he doesn't want to see us get hurt. I just hope he doesn't get injured."

Darunia faced the dragon with the megaton hammer held in one hand as if it weighed nothing. The dragon breathed fire towards Darunia. He never moved a muscle. Link and his friends gasped in shock as they watched Darunia get engulfed in fire. Suddenly, they heard laughter. It was coming from Darunia! After the dragon had finished breathing fire, Darunia still stood in the same spot, still on fire and even weirder, laughing! He then shouted at the dragon.

"Is that the best you can do? Let me show you what I'm made of!"

Darunia jumped towards the dragon and grabbed a hold of it's tail. The dragon grunted nervously and it attempted to bite Darunia and make him loosen his grip. Darunia held on tightly and began to climb the dragon. It was in a blind rage, humiliated that a creature was actually climbing it's body. It flew around roaring angrily. It tried to fly around it circles, hoping it might make it's attacker dizzy. But it didn't work. It still felt the weight of it's attacker. He was now on it's back! While holding on with one hand, he used the other hand to smash the hammer down in the center of the dragon's back. It roared in pain and it began to loose altitude. Darunia knew that it was going to crash. He looked around and he realized that the dragon was heading towards Link and his friends! Luckily, they noticed and they ran out of the way. Darunia smiled and yelled proudly.

"One dragon coming down for a landing!"

Just before the dragon hit the ground, Darunia jumped off and landed safely a short distance away from Link. The dragon smashed down into the lava and made a huge splash. Darunia walked over to where the dragon crashed into the lava. He turned around and looked at Link and smiled.

"That takes care of our dragon!"

He set the megaton hammer down onto the ground. And sat down. Suddenly, the dragon popped it's head out of the lava and reached out and grabbed Darunia in it's jaws and pulled him into the lava. Link and his friends raced to the edge of the platform. Link stomped his foot in frustration.

"I knew it! We should have helped Darunia somehow!"

Brad patted him on the back.

"We didn't know something like that was going to happen. He might still be alive down there."

Suddenly, they heard a faint roaring from the lava. Without warning, the dragon came out of the lava. It was roaring violently. Link drew his sword, ready to attack. Charlie put a hand on Link's shoulder.

"Wait, Link! It's dying. Look at it's wing!"

Link stared at it's wing and there was a lot of missing flesh and scales and bones were showing. Suddenly, it's flesh began to burn away all over it's body. With it's final breath, the dragon roared in anger. It had failed it's master. Suddenly, the dragon bones disappeared in front of everyone and a portal appeared where they once were. Link ran over and grabbed his hammer and his shield. The shield was faded from the heat and the hammer's handle was almost black from the fire. Luckily, it was made of steel. Afterwards, Link and his friends stepped into the portal and they found themselves in the Chamber of Sages. Suddenly, Darunia appeared on the fire panel. Everyone gasped in shock. Link couldn't believe his eyes.

"Darunia! You're the sage of the Fire Temple? We thought you were dead."

Darunia laughed and shook his head.

"Not at all. I used my fists to finish off the dragon. I punched it in the skull several times. Afterwards, I was mysteriously teleported away. I arrived here and a man named Rauru told me that I was destined to be the sage of the Fire Temple, so here I am fulfilling my destiny. Now Link, I want to give you the fire medallion. Take it with respect and continue on your quest to save Hyrule!"

Darunia handed Link the fire medallion. Shortly after, he and his friends were teleported out of the chamber. Within seconds, they found themselves in front of Goron City. Link stretched his arms.

"Phew! We are finally out of that temple. I didn't think we would ever get out of there."

Brad nodded.

"I couldn't agree more, Link. Now that we are out, we should probably head back to Kakariko and report in to the resistance."

Everyone nodded in agreement and they made their way down the trail towards the village.

Unknown to Link and his friends, they were being watched by the very people they were set out to talk to. Impa had set up a lookout post high above the mountain trail with Ralis and Viscen. Impa looked down at the road and gasped in shock. Viscen moved over to see what was wrong.

"What's going on, ma'am? What are you gasping at?"

Impa cleared her throat.

"Look down the road and see for yourself!"

Viscen looked down at the road and gasped in shock as well. He looked over at Impa.

"What are Link, Brad and the three fairies doing traveling with Dark Link?"

Ralis walked up beside Impa and Viscen.

"Let's get down there and see. We may have traitors in our midsts!"

Author's notes.

Well, that took awhile. Sorry for the delays. I've just been busy at work and I haven't felt like writing. But my holidays are coming up. (Woo Hoo!) So if I don't get anymore chapters posted before my holidays, I'll definately work on them then. By the way, I tried to dedicate a portion of my chapter to mother's day. Happy mother's day everyone!


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 49**

Ganondorf was in prison inside the pyramid in the Desert Colosis. He was very angry because his powers STILL wouldn't work and he couldn't convince any of the guards that he was really Ganondorf. He tried threatening them, reasoning with them, but nothing seemed to work. He sighed heavily. As long as he looked like Veran, nobody was going to take him seriously. He looked at his small hands and tried his hardest to concentrate. His hands glowed green briefly, but then the glowing quickly subsided. He pounded his fists against the cell bars in anger. A passing guard heard the noise and turned around and faced him. She tapped the cell door with her spear.

"That's enough of that, Veran. Keep quiet in there! You should be grateful you're still alive after attacking the great Ganondorf like you did!"

He cursed in anger and glared at her.

"How many times do I have to say it? I'm the real Ganondorf and Veran is playing you all for fools! She took my place."

The gerudo guard started to laugh.

"Yeah right. Like we would ever believe something so ridiculous. You're just trying to fool us into letting you go, Veran. I don't know why Ganondorf bothered to create you in the first place. That boy Vaati may not have been perfect, but at least he was more loyal than you!"

Ganondorf sighed. He had to admit. He actually missed that traitor a little. He was a evil and faithful servant. He put his hands on the bars of the cell door and began to shake it violently.

"Let me out of here! I've got to stop Veran before she ruins my plans. I wish I could somehow convince you I was the real deal."

The guard smirked.

"Oh I know exactly how you could convince me. Change yourself back into Ganondorf. Oh that's right! Ganondorf disabled your powers. I'm done talking to you, Veran! Nothing you say to me will convince me that you are really Ganondorf! I've got to get back to work before Nabooroo catches me slacking on the job."

The guard turned away and walked down the narrow corridor away from the cell. She could hear the prisoner calling from behind her.

"I swear, when I eventually get out of here, you will be the first to die!"

Veran was having a good time leading the gerudo army through the desert. They just passed the Gerudo fortress and they were now in Gerudo Valley. There was a rickety bridge built across a deep chasm. All around the valley, there were loose rocks and boulders lying around, clearly evidence of a rockslide in the distant past. She turned to the army.

"Well done, everyone. We covered a lot of ground today. If we keep going, we can make it to Kakariko by dawn. What do you say, troops?"

The reply was less than enthusiastic Saska tapped her shoulder.

"Lord, I think we should take a break. The soldiers are tired from crossing the desert."

Veran was angry. She wanted to get to Kakariko immediately. She turned to Saska.

"No! I want to get to Kakariko and invade that village."

Jaska walked in front of her.

"Lord, please listen to reason. Your soldiers won't be much good to you tired and exhausted. Let them rest. We will march on Kakariko in the morning. What do you say?"

Veran groaned. These soldiers were starting to annoy her. Finally, she nodded.

"So be it. But I want to make one thing clear. If they refuse to march tomorrow, they will be sorry! I will see to it that every one of those stupid gerudo gets punished. I will not tolerate disobedience and laziness! I'm supposed to be the leader here!"

Saska held up her hands pleadingly.

"All right! All right! I'll see to it that every gerudo is ready to march in the morning. Just try to clam down okay?"

She grunted angrily and sat down on the ground with her back against a cliff.

"Fine. Don't fail me or you will be the first one to be punished. Are we clear on that?"

She saluted.

"Yes sir! Crystal clear!"

She walked away from Veran to get out of earshot. She looked over at Jaska and motioned her to come over. She obeyed and got close to her sister She whispered at Saska.

"What is it, sister? Is something wrong?

She nodded.

Yeah. That's putting it lightly. Something is wrong with Ganondorf. He has never been this rough before. Did you hear what he's going to do if the soldiers are unwilling to obey him tomorrow?"

She shook her head.

"No. What's going to happen?"

Saska whispered her reply.

"He is going to punish all of us starting with me."

Jaska gasped quietly.

"What! That's terrible. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Saska smiled at her sister.

"Yes there is. Help me to make sure the troops are ready to go in the morning. And do me one other favor. Keep an eye on Ganondorf. Something about him just isn't right."

Jaska cocked her head to one side.

"In what way, sister?"

Saska shrugged.

"I'm not sure yet. I've never heard him talk like that before. He seems like a different person somehow."

Jaska laughed quietly.

"Do you realize how silly that sounds? He's probably just mad about Veran still. Wait until tomorrow. He'll likely be better. I will help you with the soldiers and we will enjoy conquering that village."

Saska smiled.

"I hope you're right. Can you keep an eye on everything? I want to get some sleep."

Her sister nodded as Saska put her back against a nearby boulder and dozed off. The rest of the gerudo untied makeshift beds from their backs. They were basically large cloth sacks. The tents in the desert were for too large to disassemble, so each gerudo grabbed what they could to use as sleeping material. What the gerudo army failed to notice was the scout sitting on top of the cliff above the disguised Veran. He had heard enough to report back to Impa. He got up and quietly sneaked away, making sure he covered his tracks and made no sound.

Vaati was annoyed. He still couldn't figure out why his powers weren't working against anybody. It must have been that lightning bolt that disabled them. He had to somehow find Veran and get her to restore his powers. The only power that would work was his teleporting. He groaned. He couldn't hurt anybody like this. He was standing in front of Kakariko. If he walked into the village, he would likely get killed by the resistance. He sighed heavily and sat down beside the entrance to the village and slammed his back against the wall in frustration.

Link, Charlie, Brad and the three fairies were making their way back to Kakariko Village. Link was happy and thankful that Darunia had helped them in the battle against the dragon. Suddenly, Link banged into something and fell onto the ground. Brad ran over to him.

"Are you all right, Link? Why did you fall?"

Link shrugged.

"I have no idea, but it felt like something hit me in the face."

Brad tried walking ahead and he was unable to. Something invisible was blocking the way. He turned to Charlie.

"There's some sort of invisible barrier blocking the way. Can you see if you can blast it away?"

Charlie nodded and began to concentrate. Suddenly, a voice called out to them.

"Stop right there, traitors! We won't let you into the village!"

Everyone looked around and tried to find the source of the voice. Suddenly, three figures jumped down from a cliff. When they got closer, Link realized that it was Impa, Viscen and Ralis. Link walked up to Impa. She reached behind her back and brought forth a bow and then she notched an arrow to it and aimed at Link.

"Don't come any closer or I'll shoot!"

Everyone was confused. Link looked at her strangly.

"Why did you call us traitors, Impa? What's going on here?"

Impa laughed.

"You ask us what's going on while you're traveling with the enemy? How many soldiers do you have on the way? Speak!"

Charlie stepped forward.

"Impa, there's been a huge mistake. I am not your enemy anymore. Link freed me from evil with his purify spell. I may look evil, but I can assure you that I'm not."

Impa was hesitant.

"How do I know you're telling the truth? The second we let our guard down, you'll blast us with your evil magic!"

Link looked over at Viscen. Maybe the old soldier would listen to reason.

"Viscen, he's telling the truth. I never changed sides. None of my friends did either. You have to believe me. Remember seven years ago when we met and you saved my life? I swore that I was going to get revenge one day. I still plan on getting vengeance. You just have to trust me!"

Viscen smiled fondly as he remembered carrying Link in to Doctor Frederick. He tapped Impa on the shoulder.

"I think the lad's telling the truth. Lower your weapon."

Impa glared at him.

"Have you gone senile? I don't believe a word of their story and nether should you!"

Suddenly, there was a distant rumbling. Within minutes, a goron rolled down the mountain path. When it uncurled, it was argus! He looked at Impa as she pointing her bow at Link. Impa smiled.

"Good timing, Argus. Help me with these traitors."

Argus scratched his head in confusion.

"Traitors? What are you talking about, Impa? These humans aren't traitors. They saved my people."

Impa gasped and looked at Link.

"Is he telling the truth?"

Link nodded.

She pointed at Charlie.

"How do you explain him? He still looks like Dark Link to me."

Link explained.

"When I hit him with purify, it never changed his appearance, only his personality. He's my pal Charlie again. He's even better than he used to be with all the new powers Ganondorf bestowed into him. My purify spell never erased his powers. Now he can use them to help us. He's on our side again, Impa. Please believe me."

Impa looked at Link and then to Argus. She sighed deeply.

"I was wrong. I'm very sorry. I thought you and your friends sided with evil, Link We can never be too careful. I sent a scout to see if there are any enemy movements. He should be back momentarily. We got to get back into the village."

Link cleared his throat.

"There's some sort of invisible barrier blocking the way. Charlie was going to try and break it before you intervened."

Impa smiled.

"It's a good thing he didn't. He would've got shocked. I created the barrier. There's another one set up on the other entrance to the village. They're meant to keep evil out, but now they keep everyone out. So if anybody wants into the village, I have to disable them. Now, let's head into the village. I've got a scout returning eventually and a woman is being escorted here from Kokiri Forest. A fairy named Raz was at the barrier near the ruins of Hyrule Castle Town requesting entry."

Link looked at her in confusion.

"Do you know who the woman is?"

Impa shook her head.

"Not yet. We'll find out soon though won't we?"

Impa walked over to where the invisible barrier was. She closed her eyes and held out her hands. Suddenly, her hands began to glow blue and the barrier became visible. It was glowing purple and it bent and twisted. After a few minutes, a large hole appeared in the barrier. Impa opened her eyes.

"Everyone, through the opening quickly!"

Link and his friends ran through. As did Argus, Viscen and Ralis. Impa lowered her hands and quickly dashed through. She barely made it as the gap closed behind her. She turned around.

"Now, to make this invisible again in case the enemy sees it!"

She held up her hands again and they glowed blue. Within seconds, the barrier was invisible once more. She turned to everyone.

"Now, let's head inside the village."

Navi was very impressed at Impa. She couldn't believe she thought of such a brilliant strategy! She flew over and landed on Impa's shoulder.

"By the way Impa, those barriers were an excellent idea! Where did you get such an idea?"

Impa smiled.

"Thanks, Navi. The shiekah tribe has tomes that contain a wide selection of barrier spells like that one. Only a skilled shiekah spell caster can create them. I happened to learn that particular spell from a tome the King of Hyrule gave me...I miss him. He was such a great man. He died in the fight for Hyrule Castle."

Link patted her on the back.

"I'm sorry to hear that. What ever became of Princess Zelda?""

Her breath caught in her throat.

"Uh...I-I don't know. I know she survived, but I don't know where she is."

Valerie looked at Izzy.

"I think she knows more than she's letting on don't you think?", whispered Valerie.

Izzy nodded.

"I think you might be right. Hush or she'll hear you!"

Link shrugged.

"Sorry I startled you with the question. I was just curious."

Impa smiled distractively.

"No problem, Link. I'm sure we will find her one day."

Suddenly, one of the villagers walked up to her.

"Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but the scout you sent has returned and is waiting at the barrier."

Impa brightened up.

"Very good. Thank you. Will you please excuse me, Link? I'm going to let our scout in and see if he found anything. Let's hope he has good news eh?"

Link nodded.

"Alright. Me and my friends will wait for you here."

He turned to Brad.

"So, do you know anything about a woman in Kokiri Forest?"

Brad shook his head.

"Nope. The only woman I know of is your mother."

Link gasped. He had forgotten all about his mother! He hoped she wasn't too lonely. Charlie patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, Link. She won't be mad at you. She knows you're very busy and all."

Link grinned.

"I hope you're right. You don't know my mom like I do."

Before they could discuss the matter any further, Impa walked up with the scout following closely behind. Her face was a grim mask of fear. Link put an arm on her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Impa? You look like you just saw a ghost."

Impa turned to face Link and his friends.

"My scout returned with some bad news. Ganondorf and his army are on the move. They have set up camp in Gerudo Valley and they are going to be marching towards us tomorrow morning."

Link nodded grimly.

"Did he know their numbers?"

Impa turned to the scout.

"Did you get a chance to see how many soldiers we will be dealing with?"

He nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. I took a quick count and I believe there are at least two hundred gerudo soldiers."

Link opened his mouth wide with shock.

"What? How are we going to defend this village from an army that size? We have no troops at all!"

Impa sighed.

"You're right. I instructed the escort to ask the Kokiri for assistance in case things got ugly, but I don't know if they will agree or not. We now need them to join the resistance more than ever!"

She turned to Argus.

"How many Gorons are there altogether?"

Argus scratched his head.

"Hmm. About twenty or so."

Impa put her hands to her temples.

"Even with the Kokiri and the gorons, we'll be vastly outnumbered. We'll see what happens, but we might be forced to surrender Kakariko and retreat."

Link couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked at Impa with a determined look in his eyes.

"Don't give up before the battle's even started. We will think of a way to combat these enemies. Besides, what about your barriers?"

Impa sighed.

"Ganondorf has incredible abilities with spells. I'm afraid they won't last long if he starts throwing shadow balls at them."

Link was starting to feel confused.

"But didn't you tell us before that any contact made with barriers would result in the attacker getting shocked?"

Impa brightened up a little and smiled.

"Maybe you're right, Link. Maybe I am being a little paranoid. Argus, I want you to gather the gorons and bring them to the barrier and I will let your tribe in. I will let you out in a moment."

Argus nodded.

"I would be honored to help you in the fight, Impa. The same goes for my tribe."

Impa smiled.

That's good to hear, Argus. Hopefully the escort arrives soon with the woman and if we're lucky, the Kokiri. I hope they know how to use weapons."

Brad tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, ma'am. They know how to use weapons. They all have scimitars and I trained them myself. We even defeated a gerudo raiding party a few years ago."

Impa patted Brad on the head.

"Well done, Brad. This does sound promising. We don't have the numbers they got but hopefully, we got more fighting spirit than they have! Follow me, Argus and I'll let you out to gather your people."

Impa led the big goron to the entrance to Death Mountain. Link sat down on the ground as he waited for Impa's return. The rest of his companions did the same. Navi flew over and landed on Link's shoulder. She was feeling nervous about the coming battle.

"Link, are you sure we even stand a chance against those gerudos? I don't think we will have a great number of troops. We'll maybe have thirty troops altogether. Am I the only one that thinks that this is hopeless?"

Brad laughed nervously.

"I know what you mean, Navi. But we have to at least try to defend this village. I'd feel pretty bad if this village fell because we were unwilling to fight."

Izzy shrugged.

"Well that may be true, I think you may have simply given Impa false hope. How are we going to defend the village against that many enemy soldiers? Maybe Navi's right. Maybe it is hopeless. I think we should just evacuate everyone and save the bloodshed."

Link gritted his teeth angrily. He couldn't believe what he was hearing! He glared at Izzy.

"No! I refuse to simply give up. If you want to retreat, go ahead. I didn't get Impa cheered up for you to stomp out all of her happiness by telling her it's hopeless! We are going to stay here until the bitter end! Brad was right when he said we have to least try to defend this village. I don't want to hear any more talk of evacuating the village! Is that understood?"

All of his friends saw the fierce look in his eyes and nodded right away. Brad put a hand on Link's back.

"We're all with you until the end, buddy!"

Vaati hid behind a nearby tree when he saw Impa's scout returning. He couldn't figure out why he was sent out there, but he assumed that he may have seen something important. He wasn't sure what to do anymore. Without his powers, he felt completely useless. The only course of action he could think of at the moment was to somehow gain entry to Kakariko Village and see what the resistance were doing to defend against attacks from Ganondorf's men. He tried to teleport in, but for some reason, he would always reappear back in the same spot. Suddenly, he spotted a armed guard and a woman heading towards Kakariko. But that wasn't all. There were also a bunch of smaller people wearing green clothes following behind the two. A plan began to form in his head. If he befriended those people, perhaps he could gain entry to the village! He came out from behind the tree and walked towards the guard and the woman. The guard was holding a long spear and he pointed it at Vaati.

"State your business! Who are you?"

Vaati held out his hands.

"Easy now. My name is Max. Where are you guys heading?"

Before he could reply, Fado walked up beside the guard.

"We are heading to Kakariko, Max. Say, aren't you Link's friend? He always told us you were evil..."

Vaati stammered a reply.

"I uh...Used to be. I-I-I'm not evil anymore."

The guard glared at Fado.

"You shouldn't have told him where we were heading, kid."

He turned to Vaati and held out his spear.

"How do we know you're not evil anymore? I think you're lying!"

Vaati sighed.

"Fine. You got me. I'm Vaati. That sorceress Veran stripped me of my powers and now I'm completely useless without them. So if you're going to stab me, make it quick."

The woman grabbed a hold of the spear.

"Wait! Don't hurt him. He may be evil, but can't you see he's depressed? Let's take him with us."

The guard was hesitant.

"But-But, Susan! He's evil! I've heard his name mentioned all around Hyrule. He's Ganondorf's former son!"

Upon hearing that name, Vaati shouted angrily.

"If I ever do get my powers back, I am going to make him and Veran pay dearly for what they did to me!"

Susan turned to the guard.

"See? He wants to hurt those people, not us."

Fado turned to him.

"Don't worry, sir! If he tries anything, we'll take care of him!"

She reached behind her back and brought forth a jewel-encrusted sword. The guard looked at Fado and then shook his head in disbelief and sighed.

"I hope you people don't end up getting me fired! This is a disaster waiting to happen. I just know it!"

They walked up to the entrance to Kakariko and stopped. Vaati looked around.

"Why are we stopping? Shouldn't we get into the village?"

The guard nodded.

"Yes, but we have to wait for Impa to lower the barrier."

Vaati looked at him oddly.

"Barrier? You mean like some sort of magical blockade?"

The guard nodded.

"That's right. I'd better not catch you trying to leave town before Impa has a chance to reactivate the barrier. I don't want Ganondorf or his minions to find out about this!"

Vaati grumbled angrily.

"Why would I do that? I'm not friend to them anymore. That would be a death sentence!"

Suddenly, a villager walked up and saw them waiting on the other side of the barrier. The villager called out to them.

"I will go get Impa for you. She is letting the gorons into the village. I will tell her you're here and she will be here as soon as she can!"

The villager ran off and the guard, Susan, Vaati, and the Kokiri waited patiently for Impa.

Link and his friends were also waiting for Impa. She was taking quite awhile to let the gorons in. Suddenly, they could hearing rumbling behind them. They turned around to see what was causing it and they gasped in alarm. Twenty gorons were rolling towards them! They ran behind a nearby house and watched them roll pass. They made an impressive sight. They resembled a small rockslide as they rolled into the village. Suddenly, they uncurled and began to laugh and wrestle with each other. Argus was in the crowd of wrestling gorons, advising them to watch themselves.

"Brothers, I know you all like to wrestle and it's fine by me. Just make sure you watch you don't roll into a villager. Their skin isn't as rock hard as ours. You may end up doing a lot of damage to them. Is that clear?"

All of the gorons stopped what they were doing and nodded their heads in agreement. Link came out from behind the house and patted Argus on the back.

"That was well said, Argus. I couldn't have said it better myself."

Upon seeing Link, the gorons began to cheer.

"It's the hero that helped to save us and defeated the dragon! We are eternally in your debt, brother! If you ever need anything, just say the word!"

Argus smiled.

"I told them about your heroic deeds in the Fire Temple. You're a great hero, Link."

Link pulled Argus to one side.

"I never killed that dragon, Argus. Darunia did. I don't like taking credit for something I didn't do."

Argus grinned.

"Did he now? That old boulder killed Volvagia? Oh well. I'm sure you assisted him."

Link shook his head.

"Me and my friends were told to stay out of the way. I thought he died in the final few minutes, but he turned out to be the Sage of Fire."

Argus nodded.

"I see. I never realized that he was so stubborn. Don't worry about it, Link. Even if you didn't defeat the dragon, don't disappoint my people. Just thank them, okay?"

Link sighed and nodded. He turned to the gorons.

"Thanks for your kind words, guys. I won't forget them."

He bowed and walked over to the side of the bazaar where his friends were watching. Brad started to giggle.

"You almost blew it there, Link. Imagine what the gorons would think of you if they found out you didn't actually kill the dragon?"

He shrugged as he recalled the battle.

"I'd rather not think about that. It's not like Darunia gave us much of a choice, remember? Before we could say anything, he grabbed the Megaton Hammer and jumped at the dragon, grabbed a hold of his tail , climbed on top of him and starting whaling on his back."

Brad started laughing.

"Yeah. He sure knew how to deal with that thing. Right Charlie?"

He began laughing.

"He sure did. I almost thought he was enjoying it. I could've sworn I saw him laughing at one point. Crazy goron."

Before anyone could say any more, a villager ran past them and towards the Death Mountain barrier where Impa was reactivating it again. She just finished when the villager came running up. Link and his friends walked closer to see what the villager had to say. He saluted Impa.

"I'm sorry to bother you ma'am, but the escort is back and is waiting by the other barrier. He has the woman with him, a strangly dressed man and the Kokiri."

Impa sighed.

"One drawback with these barriers is that I'm always running to them to let people in! Any idea who the strangly dressed man is?"

The villager shook his head.

"No I didn't get a good look at him."

Impa turned to Link and his friends.

"I want you six with me in case there's trouble. We'll take a good look at this man and decide whether to let him in or not. Let's go."

They all walked with Impa to the other barrier. The escort waved his spear.

"I'm back, ma'am. I've brought the woman with me as well as the Kokiri. There's also a man Susan here wants to bring in. It's Vaati, Ma'am. He claims to have no powers to harm anyone and he keeps ranting about being useless."

Link's breath caught in his throat. His mom was the woman being escorted? Not only that, but she wanted to bring Vaati in? Impa interrupted his thoughts as she spoke to the guard.

"Leave Vaati outside, but the rest of you may come in. He is nothing but lying evil scum and I don't trust him."

Link looked over Impa's shoulder at his mother.

"Mom, how could try to bring in Vaati? Don't you realize that he almost killed me?"

She smiled.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but that's in the past, dear. I think he has changed. He seems to have only one desire. To attack these two people named Ganondorf and Veran."

Link scratched his head. He knew who Ganondorf was, but who was Veran? His thoughts were once again interrupted as Impa called out to them.

"Fine! He may come in. I have a little something for him once he enters though."

Vaati gulped nervously. He didn't like the tone of Impa's voice. Impa raised her hands and they glowed blue and the barrier dropped. The guard, Susan and the Kokiri all walked in freely. The Kokiri all said hello to their former leader and patted him on the back as they passed. However, when Vaati tried to enter, Impa grabbed him by the arm.

"Hold on, bucko! I have something for you!"

She turned around and cast a purple ball of energy at him. Vaati winced, expecting it to hurt. But he didn't feel a thing. Impa smiled with satisfaction.

"You expected that to hurt, didn't you?"

He nodded silently. Impa smiled.

"Well, it won't hurt you. As long as you don't try to attack anyone. If you try to, you will receive a painful electric shock through your body. That's an old spell I learned any years ago. It's designed to make your enemy more...cooperative."

Vaati glared at her.

"I can't believe this. Why would you cast something like that on me? I haven't even tried to attack anyone yet. Not even Link!"

Link glared at him.

"Isn't it obvious, Vaati? She doesn't trust you. Either do I for that matter. Just stay out of everybody's way once Ganondorf attacks in the morning, okay?"

Vaati gasped.

"He's attacking here? I wish I had my powers back! I want to kill him after what he did to me! I want Veran to suffer as well. You and your "resistance" are going to have a lot of fun with her!"

Link grabbed his sword and pointed it at his throat.

"Tell me what you know about her or else!"

Vaati sneered.

"And why should I? I've been treated like a criminal even though I haven't done anything wrong yet! You won't kill me anyway! If you do, then you will never see your friend Max again."

Charlie put a hand on his shoulder.

"Put the Master Sword away, Link. He's right. If you kill him now, Max is dead along with him!"

Link hesitated.

"I remember a while back Max begged me to end his life, but I refused.. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and maybe he was right. Maybe I should end Max's suffering while he's powerless to stop me."

He raised his sword above his head to deliver a killing blow. Impa gasped with shock.

"Link! What the heck are you doing?"

Both Charlie and Brad jumped at Link and knocked him down. He dropped his sword and tried to push the two off of him.

"Get off of me! What do you think you're doing?"

Brad grunted.

"We are trying to stop you from making a huge mistake. You always told us you wanted to see Max back to normal, despite what he said, remember?"

Link was still struggling.

"He almost killed me when I was younger! I want to see how he likes it! Let's see if he likes lying in a bed, gravely injured and close to death!"

Susan couldn't believe Link's attitude.

"Stop this nonsense at once, Tom! I thought you were better than this!"

He grunted as he lifted his head and glared at his mother.

"My name is Link dammit!"

She gasped in shock at the disrespect he showed her!

Charlie was getting tired of his behavior. He took his hand and started slapping him on the face.

"Snap out of it, Link! You're going nuts!"

After what seemed like an eternity, Link finally calmed down. Impa stormed up to him and gave him a piece of her mind.

"Link, I have never seen anybody act so childish in all my life. You are supposed to be the Hero of Time, not some little kid with a temper. After that ridiculous display, I hear by confine you to the resistance headquarters until morning. You will enter the headquarters with Viscen and he will lock you in the basement. I hope you will act your age in the morning. We need you in the coming fight. I am also confiscating your equipment. I want everything you have. Except for your clothes of course."

Link grumbled rebelliously and started to drop his things. He started with his sword. Next, his shield. Then he threw his hook shot down. Along with his bow and quiver full of arrows. Next, he threw down his bomb bag which was tied around his waist. Finally, he dropped the item he found as a kid. His slingshot. After he was finished, Impa called Viscen over.

"Viscen, take him to the resistance headquarters and lock him in the basement with some food and water. I hope you think about what you did, Link."

Link grumbled as he was lead away. He looked up and he could see the angry faces of his friends staring at him. When he was lead inside the resistance building, Impa turned to Link's friends.

"I hope he acts better tomorrow. He's a good recruit. Now, what are we going to do with Link's stuff?"

One of the villagers tapped her on the arm.

"There is an empty crate near the bazaar. Why not put it in there?"

Impa nodded.

"So be it. We will put it in there in a moment."

Vaati was standing nearby laughing about the incident.

"That was so funny! Maybe this won't be so bad after all!

Brad glared at him.

"Shut up, Vaati, or we'll let him beat you up next time!"

Vaati laughed even harder.

"But if you do that, he will get punished again! Please do it! That was priceless!"

Charlie grabbed Brad by the shoulder.

"Come on. Let's just ignore that idiot!"

They walked away an left Vaati laughing to himself.

"Haha! Just you wait, Link! I'll find another way to get you in trouble. If I can't attack you, I want to at least get you to lose your cool again!"

Link was put in the basement with some food and water. He didn't think it was fair that he was being punished. The only reason he acted out was because of Vaati. He started to think about the whole incident earlier. He began to realize that Brad was right. He didn't want to kill Vaati, he wanted to save Max eventually. He must've looked like a complete idiot, acting like he did. He made a promise to never act out like that again, despite Vaati's presence. Through the night, Link heard noises from upstairs and some familiar voices. They belonged to his friends. He tried listening in to their conversation. He heard Brad start to talk.

"What a crazy day. I never expected Link to do anything like that. He would've killed Vaati if we didn't stop him."

Next, he heard Charlie's voice.

"I know. All the years I've known him, I've never seen him act that way. Even in our own reality, he was always so happy and carefree. I guess all the stress with Vaati finally got to him."

Izzy was next to speak. She had a tiny squeaky voice.

"I know this is off topic and everyone keeps asking this, but do you plan on returning to your own reality eventually?"

Link could hear Charlie tapping his foot on the floor.

"You know, I think I want to stay. I've met so many people since I got here. I don't really think it would be the same without you guys."

He could hear an audible sniff. Navi was next to speak.

"That's nice to say, Charlie. We feel the same way about you and Link. This world wouldn't be complete without you guys."

That statement brought a tear to Link's eye. He was lucky to have such great friends. Shortly after, Valerie was next to speak.

"I suggest we get some sleep. We're going to have a big day tomorrow. I'm sure Link will be better tomorrow. At least I hope he will be. We're going to need all the help we can get."

Link smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll be okay in the morning. Good night, guys.", he whispered as he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

All through the night, Impa, the gorons and the Kokiri took shifts to keep watch for the enemy, while everyone else slept on. Aware of the coming battle in the morning.

The morning brought forth a cloudy sky. Everyone stretched and walked out of the resistance building. Link was released from the basement and given his stuff back by Impa. She smiled at him.

"Well, you seem happier today. Did you think about what I said yesterday?"

Link nodded.

"Yes I did and I'm sorry for how I acted. It won't happen again."

Impa grinned.

"Now that's what I like to hear. That time in the basement did you some good! Now, I think you owe your friends an apology as well. I have to get ready. I'm getting ready to do a short speech before the enemy arrives."

Impa walked towards the resistance headquarters. Link looked around. There were gorons and Kokiri practicing everywhere. Finally, he spotted his friends hanging out near the archery shop. He walked over to them.

"Good morning, guys."

They all looked at him and glared at him angrily. Brad walked up to him.

"Well if it isn't the wild Link! Am I going to have to tackle you again today?"

He smiled.

"No need. I'm not going to flip out today. No need to worry."

Charlie glared at him.

"Are you sure? Should I go find Vaati and see if you want to kill him today?"

He looked at Brad.

"I'm sorry, Brad. You were right. I don't want to kill Vaati. I want to try and cleanse him and get Max back."

Izzy smirked.

"It sounds like Link is himself today. What do you say we just him a break?"

Brad sighed.

"Okay fine. Just don't act like that again, Link. I was almost ashamed to call you my friend."

Link sighed.

"Alright, everyone. I get it. I won't act like that again. Just try to keep Vaati away from me. I know he'll try to get me in trouble after yesterday."

Veran was wide awake and ready to march. She ordered Saska and Jaska to wake the troops right away. The groaned and yawned as they stood in front of her. Saska saluted the Disguised Veran.

"We are ready to march on your word, sir. All the troops are awake and accounted for."

Veran smiled.

"Very well. How long will it take to march to Kakariko?"

Saska scratched her head.

"Lesse...I'd say we should easily be there within the hour. It's not too far away."

Veran laughed aloud.

"Excellent. Kakariko will be ours! Let's march!"

The soldiers cheered as they began to march. The two hundred and fifty soldiers were on their way to capture Kakariko Village and take no prisoners.

Impa had everyone gathered in front of the resistance headquarters She had some important words to share with everyone before the coming battle Villagers and visitors alike gathered around her as she said her piece.

"Alright, everyone. We are against two hundred and fifty troops, including Ganondorf himself. We don't even come close to matching their numbers, but that doesn't mean we are going to run like cowards! This place is our home and we shall fight with all our might to defend it!"

Everyone cheered at Impa's encouraging words. One of the villagers called out a question.

"What happens if we can't defend this village and the enemy wins?"

The crowd suddenly went deafly silent. Impa nodded slowly.

"I'm glad you asked! I thought of that as well. I'm going to let everyone in on something that nobody knows except me. There is a secret tunnel in the Kakariko Village graveyard which leads to an underground base that is located underneath Lon Lon Ranch. I went there a few days ago and made sure there was fresh food and water available. It is a large base and it should easily accommodate all of us. Better yet, Ganondorf and his minions don't know of it's existence. Now what does everyone say to that?"

The cheering was nearly deafening. Impa held out her hands.

"If we lose the village, at least we have somewhere to go. If things get rough, I'll give the order and everyone will head to the graveyard. After everyone's in, I will put up a barrier blocking the way in to the enemy. Now, let's show them what we are made of!"

The cheering was even louder as everyone picked up whatever they could find for weapons and waited for the enemy to arrive.

An hour later, Veran and the gerudo army finally made it to Kakariko. She looked at the troops.

"Alright, men. This is it! This looks like it's going to be easy. They didn't even bother to put up a barricade near the entrance. Jaska, I want you to lead the troops in. I will be right behind you."

She swelled with pride. She had not expected Ganondorf to say that. She saluted smartly.

"I won't let you down, sir!"

She went to the front of the troops, looked behind her and drew her weapon.

"Come on, everyone! Charge!"

Jaska charged, while Veran and the troops followed closely behind. Suddenly, Jaska went flying backwards into the troops. Veran stopped and looked back.

"What happened? What did you hit?"

Jaska got up and pointed towards the village.

"Lord, don't walk any further! There is some sort of shield blocking the way."

Veran held out her hand and sure enough, there was a barrier blocking the way. Veran punched the barrier. It gave her a mild electric shock. She grinned.

"Very clever, resistance. But this isn't going to stop me from getting in!"

She began to float up into the air. She began to form a ball of pure dark energy. The gerudo troops watched in amazement at their leader's magical skills. Suddenly, she began to make the ball even bigger. After a few minutes, she hurled it toward the barrier. It struck with a blinding white flash. After the white flash was gone, she floated back to the ground and put her hand where the barrier previously was. She grinned evilly. The barrier was destroyed! She turned to the troops.

"I will be back. I am going to Death Mountain near the other entrance to the village. I bet they have a barrier there as well!"

She was gone for maybe two minutes. She returned and the troops were hiding out of sight. She saw Saska and teleported beside her.

"Report. Why is everyone hiding?"

"One of the villagers started to walk outside the village, but she turned around. She never noticed the barrier was gone, lord."

Veran laughed. What a simpleton! She turned to the troops.

"Alright. Now that the Death mountain barrier is down, I want to teleport half of you troops over there. As soon as you are there, charge into the village. Kill everybody except for the ones called Impa and Link. I want them alive to witness my power."

The troops nodded. Veran concentrated and her eyes glowed bright red. Shortly after, half of the troops disappeared. Saska tapped on her shoulder.

"This is a brilliant tactic, lord. What's it called?"

Veran smiled.

"This is called a Pincer attack. We'll be attacking from both ways. Now, Charge!"

Impa started to hear something odd. She turned in the direction of Death Mountain and her mouth opened wide with disbelief. Gerudo soldiers were charging in grinning evilly and stabbing anyone they saw. Impa was left almost speechless. She quickly recovered, but she was still shocked.

"B-but my barriers! How did they get through? To arms! We are under attack! Defend yourselves!"

Suddenly, soldiers began to charge through the other entrance as well! They were being led by Veran. She looked around. The gorons were knocking out quite a few with their hard fists. The Kokiri were having a hard time. Groups of Gerudo soldiers would try and surround them and pick them off one by one. Brad saw what they were trying to do and yelled over the battle.

"All Kokiri to me! Let's do the Windmill spin attack!"

All the Kokiri attempted to fight their way over to Brad. Unfortunately, a few Kokiri fell in the attempt. All the Kokiri formed a tight circle and held their blades out and began to spin in a circle, slow at first, but gradually getting faster. They began to head towards a group of ten curious gerudo soldiers. They were dead before they hit the ground. Brad smiled proudly. They destroyed a small fraction of gerudo soldiers. The gorons were rolling around with spikes coming out of their bodies. They resembled large hedgehogs when they were rolling around. The gorons began to impale many soldiers with their famous attack. Soldiers began to surround Link. He took out his sword and held it ready.

"Have a taste of my whirlwind spin, enemy scum!"

Link held his sword out and began to spin in circles, killing many soldiers as he spun. When he was done, he held his head and looked around at the dead bodies around him. He ginned.

"I'm very dizzy, but it was worth it!"

When his head cleared, he took a quick glance around and he noticed Charlie blasting all enemies away with his powers. Then he noticed that the three fairies were high up in the air, but gerudo archers were aiming at them. He shouted out over the din.

"Guys! Combine your powers like before! Show them what you're made of!"

Izzy, Valerie and Navi were flying around, dodging enemy arrows. They looked at each other and nodded. They began to combine their powers. Suddenly, they began to glow bright orange. Navi shouted out as loud as she could.

"All allies! Run for cover!"

Mostly everyone heard the fairy and tried to find somewhere to hide. Suddenly, the fairies shot a blast of orange energy into the sky. Suddenly, huge fireballs began to rain down from the sky! Link was impressed. He never knew they possessed that kind of intense power. Friend and foe alike were running for cover from the large fireballs. Vaati came out of hiding at the wrong time and was running around trying to avoid being hit. The attack took out approximately seventy five gerudo soldiers and about twenty villagers. After it was done, Vaati ran up to Link.

"Are you insane? They might have killed everyone with that attack!"

Link glared at him.

"What do you care? Besides, it was worth it. While I was hiding from the fireballs, I peeked outside and saw a great number of gerudos get hit."

Vaati sneered.

"I still say that was a foolish move."

Veran cursed angrily.

Argh! I didn't plan on having these annoying fairies to deal with! I'm going to finish this battle once and for all!"

Suddenly, she began to float up into the air. She then proceeded to get closer to Link. He wasn't paying attention. He was busy attacking Gerudo soldiers. Brad saw what was going on and warned him.

"Link! Behind you! Ganondorf is planning to attack you!"

He finished off the gerudo that was trying to kill him and he turned around. Veran grinned evilly.

"So, I finally get the chance to meet you, Link. Too bad it will be the last time we see each other!"

Link was confused.

"What are you talking about, Ganondorf? We've met before. You're going to pay for what you did to my friends!"

She laughed evilly.

"I'm sorry, Link. You're mistaking me for somebody else!"

Suddenly, Veran turned black and when she reappeared, she was her original self again! She had black hair and glowing red eyes and she was wearing a purple robe. Friend and foe alike gasped in shock. Saska Nudged her sister who was nearby.

"See? I TOLD you that wasn't Ganondorf!"

Link gasped in surprise.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

Vaati walked beside Link again and gasped in shock

"That's the one I told you about earlier. Veran, the one that stole my powers!"

She smiled evilly.

"Ah, Vaati! So nice to see you again. I see you recovered after our fight. That's good."

Vaati sneered.

"Enough of the nice talk! Give me my powers back!"

She grinned evilly.

"No, I don't think I'll do that. Now, get out of my way you fool! My quarrel is with Link!"

She waved her hand and Vaati went flying over to the left. He quickly got up and watched the fight. She began to concentrate and formed a ball of electrical energy.

"This should be enough to stop even the strongest of warriors! Say your prayers, Link!"

She pulled her hand back and threw the ball of electrical energy at him. Brad shouted at him.

"Link! Get out of the way! Don't let that hit you or you're a goner!"

Suddenly, Vaati did something unexpected. He ran over to Link and pushed him out of the way.

"Out of the way, Link!"

The ball of electrical energy hit Vaati dead on. He was glowing yellow while being electrocuted. When it was over, Vaati collapsed on the ground in a heap. Link ran over to him and began to shake him gently. Impa saw Link run over and looked around at her depleted force of troops Half of the villagers were killed and a few gorons lied dead. About five Kokiri perished in the fight as well.

"All remaining troops, protect Link!"

Link had tears in his eyes.

"Max, I know that was you, buddy. Please be okay."

Vaati was scorched almost black from the blast of magic. He coughed violently and looked up at Link weakly.

"Yes...Link. It-It's me, Max. I-I...Saved your life. Link, I'm n-not going to make it. I want you to k-keep fighting the f-forces of evil for m-me, okay?"

Tears were flowing freely from Link's eyes. He shook his head.

"Don't be silly. You're going to live, okay? I promised I would save you the last time we talked, remember?"

He smiled.

"S-sorry, L-link. That m-magic blast h-hit me t-to hard. P-please don't t-take my d-death too hard..."

Suddenly, his mouth went still and he closed his eyes for the last time. Link wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

"It was an honor to have known you, Max. I hope you find the peace you deserve."

He turned around and saw everyone creating a barricade around Link. Impa was gritting her teeth. She looked at Link.

"Max didn't make it, did he?"

He shook his head sadly. She looked around the village.

"We have to retreat. There are far too many soldiers for our depleted army. The kokiri and gorons are fighting them the best they can, but even they are getting tired. Everyone! The village is lost! To the cemetery!"

Charlie turned to her.

"I could try teleporting us."

Impa nodded.

"Give it a try, but if it doesn't work, we are going to have to make a mad dash for it."

Charlie began to quickly concentrate. He tried teleporting, but for some reason, it wouldn't work! He turned to Impa.

"It's no good! We have to run."

She turned around and most of the remaining army were running towards the cemetery. Her, Link and Charlie followed suit. When they headed towards the cemetery, Veran turned to them.

"After them you fools! Don't let them escape!"

They looked at each other. One of the gerudos spoke up stupidly.

"You aren't Ganondorf! I'm not taking orders from you!"

Veran concentrated and blasted the unfortunate gerudo with lightning. She looked at the rest of the troops.

"Unless you want to join that fool, after them now!"

As soon as everyone was in the graveyard, Impa cast a barrier across the entrance. She turned to everyone.

"Alright this way. There is a false tombstone."

She walked over to the closest tombstone and gave it a hard push. It moved out of the way and there was a set of stairs leading down. She pointed down.

"Everyone in the tunnel! Quickly!"

Everyone nodded and began to walk down into the tunnel. As soon as everyone was in, Impa smiled and lit a torch with her magic..

"Alright! Let's walk down the tunnel a few feet!"

Everyone was a little cramped, but happy to be alive. After walking a few feet, everyone noticed a rope hanging down from the ceiling. She turned to everyone.

"As soon as I pull this rope, run! The way behind us is going to collapse!"

One of the villagers began to panic.

"But how will we get out?"

Impa grinned.

"Not to worry. There is another tunnel leading from the base into the stables of Lon Lon Ranch!"

She pulled the rope and everyone ran, while the tunnel began to collapse behind them. After a few feet, Impa called a halt.

"Okay, everyone. No need to run anymore. The tunnel won't collapse anymore. We should be safe once we get to the base. We'll rest for five, then we'll get moving again. By the way, although the village is lost, I appreciate the effort from all of you."

Everyone thanked Impa as they took a well earned break.

Veran cursed in anger. Not only had everyone escaped, but the tunnel they escaped from was blocked!

"Argh! Stupid resistance! You may have won today, but so did I! I have your precious village! I will find you and kill every last one of you! Keep hidden well, Hyrule Resistance!"

Author's notes

There we go! By far the longest chapter I have ever wrote. Damn thing took me 12 hours lol.


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 50**

Everyone continued to follow Impa as she led the way down the narrow, twisting tunnel. It was starting to go even further underground. After what seemed like an eternity, Impa stopped and turned to everyone.

"Brace yourselves, everyone! The base is just ahead."

Impa walked ahead a few feet, with everyone following closely behind. The tunnel began to widen considerably. Everyone began to gasp in awe. Link looked at what everyone was staring at and he was speechless. Just ahead was a massive stone fortress. There were multiple windows and towers in the fortress. Brad walked up beside Impa.

"Your people built this large fortress underground? How was this even possible?"

Impa smiled at him and shrugged.

"I have no idea, Brad. I wish I knew as well. Did they use magic? Or were they very skilled at building underground structures? I don't know the answer unfortunately. What we need to do now is plan a way to strike back at the enemy. Everyone inside! There's plenty of room!"

Impa opened the door and everyone piled in. Including Link, his friends and his mother, there were only thirty two survivors from the battle. There numbers were originally fifty seven. Brad and his force lost five Kokiri in the battle, While Argus lost ten of his brothers in the battle. Ten villagers also lost their lives in the deadly conflict. Impa looked at everyone, her face a grim mask of misery.

"I would like to have a moment of silence for the brave people that fell in the battle. They fought bravely and we will never forget them."

Everyone bowed their heads and remembered their fallen comrades. Argus began to weep silently. He cared deeply for his people and it saddened him when any one of them died. Link also began to weep for Max. He sacrificed his life to save his. He never wanted him to die! He wanted to save him and rid him of the evil inside of him. Brad saw him crying and put an arm on his shoulder.

"I know how you feel, Link. I lost five of my people. I know you and Max were close friends and I'm sorry for your loss."

He looked over at Brad with tears still in his eyes. He bent down and hugged Brad and broke down.

"It's just not fair! He was one of my best friends and now he's gone. I swear Veran will pay for his death. He didn't deserve to die like that."

Brad nodded.

"I know he didn't. My people didn't deserve to die either. That battle was terrible. It took a lot of people from us. Maybe we should talk to Argus. He's taking the death of his brothers particularly hard."

Link wiped his eyes and glanced over at Argus. He was still crying. The remaining gorons stood around him and tried to cheer him up.

"Come on, brother. At least all of us didn't die!"

"That's right. Crying about them isn't going to bring them back."

Argus stopped crying and held his head up. He looked around.

"I'm sorry, brothers. Losing ten gorons has really tore me up inside. I should have protected them better. I'm a lousy leader!"

Link walked over and put a hand on Argus's shoulder.

"Don't ever say that, Argus. You're a great leader. Nobody was prepared for the casualties of that battle. It wasn't your fault those gorons died. It was Veran's fault for trying to kill us. This is all Ganondorf's fault. He has to be the one responsible for Veran. I made a promise to Max that I would keep fighting and although his death has saddened me, I can't let it bring me down. Don't let their deaths bring you down either, Argus."

Argus wiped his eyes and smiled.

"You're absolutely right. Thanks, Link. If I ever get my hands on either Veran or Ganondorf, they won't be living much longer I can promise you that!"

He smiled and sat down on the stone floor, as did the reaming gorons. Brad patted Link on the shoulder.

"Nice going. He needed that. He was depressed about losing those gorons"

Link shrugged his shoulders.

"I know how he feels. Seeing Max die wasn't an easy thing. We all need to be cheered up after that battle."

Impa looked around the fort. People were weeping, others were staring down at the ground silently. She sighed.

"I didn't think it would be easy to have a moment of silence."

She looked at Shiek standing beside her.

"Do you think Link saw him?"

Shiek looked at the body of Vaati and shook his head.

"I don't believe so. We need to hide it away from sight."

Shiek turned around and the three fairies were facing him. Navi flew in front of him angrily.

"What are you doing with Vaati's body? Link has gone through enough sadness already and if he see the body of his dead friend, he's going to flip out. Explain yourself!"

Valerie glared at Impa.

"That is just wrong, Impa! What is going on?"

Izzy flew in front of Navi and Valerie.

"Guys, relax. Maybe he was brought here for a decent burial."

Impa sighed.

"Fine you caught us. We didn't want to show Link because we knew it would upset him. We want to see if there is any way to resurrect him and hopefully cleanse him of all evil."

Navi was shocked.

"What? That is just sick and twisted!"

Impa glared at her angrily.

"Watch your tongue, fairy. All I want to do is help Link by giving his friend back to him alive and free of evil. Why is that sick and twisted?"

Navi gasped.

"You..really want to do that for Link?"

Impa nodded.

"Of course. I saw how upset he was when Vaati died and I secretly ordered Shiek to pick him up as we retreated. I don't know if we can do anything or not yet, but I need you to keep it quiet around Link. I don't want him to know until I see if we can pull this off. If it doesn't work, me and shiek thought of a few other ideas."

Valerie cocked her head to one side.

"What else do you have in mind?"

Impa rubbed her forehead.

"We may need the power from all six sages to resurrect Vaati. We aren't sure if we are powerful enough. Finally, you could time travel with Link and try to search for Vaati in the past."

Izzy giggled.

"Time traveling? That sounds very far fetched if you ask me!"

Impa looked at Izzy for a few minutes and then smiled.

"You weren't with Link when he pulled out the Master Sword were you?"

Izzy shook her head.

"Uh no. I thought somebody forged that sword for him."

Impa laughed quietly.

"Are you serious? Haven't you ever heard of the Blade of Evil's Bane? It was forged a long time ago and placed in the Temple of Time. When Link pulled the Master Sword from it's pedestal, he created a rift in time. If he were to go back there, he could go back in time by placing the Master Sword back into the pedestal."

Navi flew in front of her.

"Let me get this straight. If we go to the Temple of Time and Link puts the sword back, we will go back in time?"

Impa nodded.

"Correct. He will travel back in time back to when he first pulled the Master Sword out."

Navi was shocked. They could go back and forth through time anytime they wanted and Impa thought to mention it to her now! She glared at Impa.

"Why didn't you tell us about this earlier?"

Impa shrugged.

"It wasn't necessary. I do have a mission for Link soon that will involve him going back in time. I am dropping the matter until then. Shiek, take Vaati's body up to the top floor. Use your teleporting ability so Link doesn't see you."

He saluted smartly and teleported away with Vaati in tow. Impa turned to Navi.

"I need you to bring Link over here. I have a quest for all of you.

Navi grumbled and she and the other two fairies flew over to where Link was. He was sitting on the floor with Brad and Charlie and they were relaxing after the battle. Upon seeing Navi, Link stood up.

"Hi, Navi. What's going on? You look like you have something important to say."

Navi smiled.

"Not really. Impa wants to see all of us. She mentioned a quest."

Brad smiled.

"She probably wants us to continue exploring the temples and finding the sages. I hope the Water Temple is next."

Charlie nudged him playfully.

"Why the Water Temple, Brad? You want to go for a swim that badly?"

He grinned and looked up at Izzy and winked at her.

"I'll show you when we get to the Water Temple."

Link was curious.

"What do you want to show us, buddy?"

Brad held his hand out.

"I won't say another word until we arrive at the Water Temple. Let's go see what Impa has to say."

Link and his friends walked over to where Impa was standing. She smiled at them warmly.

"There's my team of temple explorers! Are you guys feeling better after that battle?"

Link, Brad and Charlie nodded. The three fairies shrugged. Navi spoke up for them.

"We are a little tired from casting that fireball spell but other than that, we're fine."

Impa frowned.

"Well I hope you are able to help Link, Charlie and Brad. I want you to go to Lake Hylia. Your next destination is the Water Temple."

Brad could hardly contain his excitement. He jumped up and down.

"Yes! The Water Temple! I was hoping it was next."

Impa looked at him strangly.

"I don't know what you're so excited about, Brad. There is a huge problem with this temple. Most of it is completely underwater. I don't believe a water tunic exists and even if it did, there would have to be a device somehow connected to your airways to help you breathe underwater and keep you from drowning."

Brad stepped forward.

"No need to worry, ma'am. We won't be needing anything like that."

Impa was starting to get really confused.

"I don't understand, Brad. How are you going to breathe underwater? This temple used to be where the zoras went to pray to their god and it's almost completely underwater."

Brad grinned.

"That's perfect. I can't wait until we get there."

Charlie looked at him strangly.

"What are you hiding from us? I know there's something you're not telling us."

Impa sighed.

"He doesn't want to talk. I guess he will tell you about his big plans once you get there, whatever they may be. Now, listen carefully. There is a path near the right side of the fort. When you find it, follow it along and you will end up at a wooden door. It should be unlocked. Open it and walk into the next room. You will find yourselves in The Lon Lon Ranch stables. Afterwards, make your way off the ranch. If you see Malon or Ingo, inform them of our situation. I assume you all know the way to Lake Hylia right?"

Everyone nodded. Impa smiled.

"Okay then. Off you all go then. Make sure you don't get caught by any enemy soldiers. Good luck with the temple."

Link's mom walked up beside Impa.

"Be careful, Link. Please don't hurt and come back safe!"

Link waved at her as he and his friends searched for the tunnel.

Veran wanted to set up look out towers in case they were ever attacked. She looked around proudly. This village was now hers. She wanted to make big changes around the village, but the supplies were all at the desert. She turned to her troops.

"Now, who among you were given any rank or responsibility?"

Saska and Jaska stepped forward. Veran smiled.

"You two? Is that all? What are your ranks and what sort of duties were you performing?'

Saska answered for the both of them.

My rank is General and my sister here is a major. We take care of all the troops and their needs. Ganondorf trusted us completely and you can too, ma'am!"

Veran scratched her chin.

"Hmm. Does that mean you will be loyal to me now?"

Saska nodded.

"Yes, ma'am! The way you took Kakariko was a stroke of genius! Ganondorf would have never thought of that."

Veran smiled.

"While that may be true, I'll need you to prove your loyalty another way. I know Ganondorf will escape prison sooner or later. When he does, I want you and your sister to order the troops to attack him. We'll see who your loyal to after that! For the meantime, I want one of you to get the remaining troops to this village. Which one of you can I trust with this task?"

Saska held up her hand.

"I will do this for you, ma'am. I will let my sister look after the troops."

Veran nodded.

"So be it. I am sending ten troops with you in case you run into members of the Hyrule Resistance. If you run into those cowards, take no prisoners!"

Veran picked out ten random soldiers and instructed them to follow Saska. She quickly pulled a soldier to one side and whispered into her ear.

"I want you to keep an eye on Saska. If she tries to warn Ganondorf or plot against me, kill her! Pass the word along to the other soldiers. Fail me and I can promise you a slow and painful death. Are we clear on that?"

The soldier nodded silently as she joined the rest of the soldiers as they were leaving the village.

Author's notes: There we go. I think I might try to keep my chapters around 2,000 to 4,000 words. They just take me too long to write otherwise. What an awesome week. It's so nice to be on holidays. Sorry for the delays, everyone. I got a new toy. An Asus Transformer Pad. A very nice tablet in my opinion.


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 51**

Ganondorf awoke feeling refreshed but annoyed. He desperately wanted to get out of the jail cell and put a stop to Veran's activities. He ran over to the cell door and shook it violently. It didn't budge. He pounded the cell door angrily. Suddenly, a blast of lightning shot out of his hand. He looked at his hand in surprise. Did he finally have his powers back? He concentrated and attempted to shoot the wall outside the cell with magic. Within mere seconds, a blast of fire hit the wall. He grinned evilly. Finally he could get out of this prison and show those foolish gerudo who the real Ganondorf was! First, he wanted to fix his appearance. He used his magic to create a mirror in front of him. He scowled with disgust. He didn't want to look like Veran any longer. He concentrated and managed to create a spell to counteract the effects of his current appearance. He took the ball of green energy in his hand and slammed it into his chest. He grunted with both pain and surprise. He had not expected it to hurt him. He looked in the mirror. He still looked like Veran except his skin was now a bright green. He cursed in anger. He was getting ready to attempt another spell when suddenly, he felt funny. Shortly after, his body changed from a bright green color to a pitch black. Ganondorf felt dizzy and stumbled around the cell. Things started to go black around him and he passed out. When he awoke, he put a hand to his forehead. Using that spell on himself was a terrible idea! He turned around and he noticed that the mirror he created was still there. He looked into it and smiled with delight. He looked like himself again. From his shiny black armor to his curly red hair. He glared at the cell door. He held out his left hand and blasted it with a bolt of electricity. The door flew off of it's hinges. Upon hearing the disturbance, the on-duty guard went running in search of the noise. This was the same guard that insulted Ganondorf earlier. She ran to check the prisoner cells, in case Veran escaped. When she arrived, Ganondorf was standing in front of the cell door. He was looking down at his glowing hands. When he heard the guard, he turned around to face her. His eyes were glowing bright red. He glared at her and pointed at her.

"You! You are the guard that insulted me. You wouldn't listen to me when I tried to tell you about Veran and you kept me imprisoned! For that, you must die!"

The guard got down on her hands and knees and began to beg for mercy.

""I'm so sorry, King Ganondorf. Please spare my life. How was I to know it was really you? Please give me another chance!"

She looked up at Ganondorf. There was no mercy in his eyes. He held out his hand and blasted her with lightning until she was nothing more than a pile of ash on the floor. He then stormed out of the pyramid to find his troops and evaluate the situation.

The remaining seven hundred and fifty troops were busy patrolling the desert and training in the arts of swordplay and archery. They never went into the pyramid unless they were called by Nabooroo and that was very rare. She would always come out and issue orders directly. Other than their daily training and patrolling, they were also awaiting word from who they thought was Ganondorf. That all changed when Ganondorf came running out of the pyramid. Everyone stopped what they were doing and walked over to him. He looked around at all of the confused faces.

"What are all you fools gaping at? It's me, Ganondorf. Don't you bumpkins recognize me?"

One of the gerudos pointed at him.

"Wait. If you're Ganondorf, then who led the troops to Kakariko?"

Ganondorf sighed.

"That was Veran in disguise. I can't believe she fooled all of you so easily. Now I see she is going to be difficult to deal with. I should've never got Saska to create her in the first place. This is all my fault. We're going to need someone to help us stop her. But it has to be someone with more advanced powers than me and I think I know who to talk to."

One of the gerudo held up her hand.

"We're a mighty force, lord. Won't we be more than enough to stop her?"

Ganondorf sighed in frustration.

"Don't you fools get it? She is a master with magic and none of you know how to use magic properly. Saska and Jaska are the only ones that do know and they are with Veran. The only person that might be able to help us is my brother."

A lot of the gerudos gasped in surprise. Ganondorf had a brother? Who was he and where in Hyrule did he live? Ganondorf grinned.

"My brother doesn't live in Hyrule anymore. Last I heard, he was heading towards a far away land called Holodrum. His name is Onox Dragmire. He hated the shifting sands of this desert and he wanted to travel alone and find his own path. It would take far too long to travel to him, so I'm going into my tent and I'm going to attempt to reach him through telepathy. If there is any activity out there, report to me at once!

Saska and her ten troops were marching towards the desert. They were constantly on the lookout for the Hyrule resistance. So far, none of them could find any signs of them. Saska scratched her head. Where in Hyrule did they get to? She shrugged her shoulders. It didn't matter. Eventually, they would have to come out of hiding. Veran would probably execute them on the spot. She smiled as she led the troops towards the desert. About an hour later after taking her memorized path through the shifting sands, she finally reached the desert outpost. The gerudos turned around as they saw her enter. One of the gerudo greeted her.

"It's good to see you again, Ma'am! I hate to tell you this, but you were misled by a fake Ganondorf. That was Veran in disguise."

She dismissed the comment with a wave.

"I know that already. I was a little angry at first, but with her help, we managed to take Kakariko and drive the resistance into hiding. I've been sent here to lead the rest of you to Kakariko. We need more supplies to mold it into the ultimate base."

The Gerudo glared at her.

"Forgive me for asking, but whose side are you on?"

Saska looked at her oddly.

"What are you talking about, soldier? We are all on the same side!"

She crossed her arms.

"If you're fighting for Veran, then we are on opposite sides!"

She reached for a bone whistle around her neck and blew it. Within seconds, Saska and the ten gerudo that were with her were surrounded by gerudo soldiers. A lot of swords and bows were pointed at them. Saska looked around and gulped nervously.

"W-what is the meaning of this? Let us go!"

The gerudo soldier sneered.

"I shall do no such thing! Ganondorf will want to speak with you traitors! Okay everyone! I am going to inform Ganondorf of the situation. Kill anybody that moves a muscle!"

The gerudo soldier ran over to Ganondorf's tent. She poked her head in. Ganondorf was in deep concentration. She cleared her throat.

"Uh, sir? I'm sorry to bother you but-"

Ganondorf's concentration broke and he glared at the gerudo.

"Can't you see I'm busy? What is so important that you had to disturb me?"

The gerudo soldier stood to attention.

"There is a situation outside that requires your presence! General Saska has returned..."

Ganondorf smiled. At last one of his most trusted officers was back in the desert. He smiled at her.

"That's great news. Bring her to my tent and I'll fill her in on my plans."

The gerudo soldier hesitated.

"Sir, there is something you need to know before I do that. She is working for Veran and she wanted all of us to follow her to Kakariko."

Ganondorf rose quickly from his chair.

"What? Send her in here at once! She will either rejoin me or I will turn her into a pile of ash!"

The gerudo left to do his bidding. She was not gone long. Within a few short minutes, Saska was led into the tent and pushed in front of Ganondorf. He held his hands up in the air.

"Why if isn't General Saska. Word around the desert is that you turned traitor on me. Tell me everything you know or I will kill you where you stand!"

Words began flowing from Saska's mouth.

"Yes sir! Please spare my life. We captured Kakariko with Veran's help, but the Hyrule Resistance escaped. She sent me here to lead the remaining troops to the village and to bring supplies."

Ganondorf nodded.

"Veran is more cunning that I could've ever imagined. Impersonating me and taking over Kakariko. You've been in my army for a long time, Saska. So I'm going to give you a break. Rejoin my army and I will forget your betrayal. If you refuse, I will be forced to kill you."

Saska saluted him.

"You have my complete loyalty, sir! But what about my sister? She is with Veran as well as a quarter of our forces."

Ganondorf grinned.

"Don't worry about them. They will either help me defeat Veran or die by my hand. Now leave me. I need to contact my brother, Onox Dragmire."

Saska recognized the name.

"Onox...Wait I remember him. We used to hang out when we were younger. He was always getting us into trouble and he thought he was better than everybody else. Why do you need to contact him?"

Ganondorf grinned.

"If you recall, he was a very skilled spell caster before he left. I was going to see if he might be able to help us put an end to Veran."

Saska shrugged.

"He may tease you a little, but anything's worth a try, lord."

Ganondorf smiled.

"I don't care if he teases me or not. As long as he helps us."

Link and his friends found the exit tunnel without a lot of difficulty. It started out going straight uphill. Then it leveled out and they made a lot of twists and turns. After about twenty minutes, they found the big wooden door Impa had mentioned. Link gave it a hard push and it swung open. Link and his friends walked into the next room. They were in the stables of Lon Lon Ranch. They made their way outside when they suddenly heard somebody shouting at them.

"Halt! Who goes there? Are you friend or foe?"

They turned around and there was a man in steel armor standing beside a beautiful girl with long red hair and blue eyes. Link recognized him immediately.

"Hey, Ralph! It's Link remember?"

Ralph started laughing.

"So it is! I'm sorry I didn't recognize you and your friends. You came out of the tunnel in the stables didn't you?"

Brad grinned.

"So you know about that place as well?"

Ralph nodded.

"I should hope so, kid. I AM a member of the resistance after all! By the way, who is that shadow being beside you, Link? He almost looks like you."

Link smiled as he reintroduced his friend to the soldier.

"This is Charlie. You helped save him in the Forest Temple remember? He looks like this because of Ganondorf's evil magic. I helped to save him from the clutches of evil."

Ralph nodded slowly.

"Yes I remember. Well met again, Charlie. I'm glad you're on our side once more. Why were you in that tunnel anyway? It leads to our underground fortress."

He gasped.

"That doesn't mean...Kakariko fell to the enemy...does it?"

Link nodded sadly.

"Veran captured Kakariko with help from the gerudo. We were vastly outnumbered and we had no choice but to retreat. Impa led us down into that fortress."

Navi flew in front of him.

"I don't mean to be rude Ralph, but where were you when the enemy invaded Kakariko?"

He shook his head sadly.

"If I would've known Kakariko was going to be overrun... I should've disobeyed orders and stayed there to help! I was ordered by Impa to go around and warn people to take refuge somewhere safe and not come near Kakariko when the fighting started. I didn't find many people to be honest. But a monster found me out in the field and knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, I was in a bed and Malon here was taking care of me. Luckily, I didn't get hurt bad. My armor protected me well. I wish I could've done more to help."

Charlie smiled.

"Don't worry about it, Ralph. You had no idea the village was going to be taken over."

Link was paying no attention to what Viscen had said. He was staring at Malon. A sudden realization hit him.

"Wait a minute. Did you say that woman's name was Malon?"

He stared at Malon.

"Do you remember me? I'm the forest kid from the woods you met seven years ago."

Malon stared at him for a minute and then she smiled.

"It's been too long, Link. How have you been? I heard rumors that you did something in the Temple of Time and disappeared."

Link nodded slowly. Izzy cleared her throat.

"Sorry to ruin this moment Link, but we have to get to Lake Hylia remember?"

Link shook his head and looked at Malon and Ralph.

"It was nice to see you two again. I've got to get going now. I've got to go to the Water Temple."

Ralph cocked his head sideways.

"Why are you going there? You do know that temple is only accessible to zoras right? Even with the lake almost dry, you'll need some way to get in."

Brad butted in.

"We appreciate your concerns Ralph, but we will be fine, right Izzy?"

He turned to Izzy. She answered with a giggle. Link and Charlie looked at each other. What were those two hiding? Ralph sighed.

"Okay. Have it your way. I'm going to the fortress to report in to Impa. Have fun at the lake."

Ralph walked towards the stables as Link and his friends made their way out of the Ranch and towards Lake Hylia. Link sighed quietly. Some questions were still being left unanswered. What secrets were Brad and Izzy keeping from everyone? Why don't they care about how to get into the Water Temple? And why are they so eager to get there? He looked over at Brad and Izzy. They were almost racing ahead of everyone to get to the lake first. He started to hope that all of his questions would be answered as soon as they arrived at Lake Hylia.


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 52**

Link and his friends finally reached Lake Hylia. Brad and Izzy rushed ahead of everyone to take a look at the lake. They stopped in their tracks and gasped in shock at what they saw. Brad held up his arms in despair.

"What the? Where is the lake? This is terrible!"

Link and the others rushed over to see what Brad was looking at and they too gasped at the sight. Navi broke the silence with a long sigh

"The water is all gone. We need to find a way to fix this"

Everyone looked at her and nodded in agreement. Brad nodded sadly.

"Yes. We need to enter that temple and find out what caused this. We can't leave the lake like this."

Valerie flew in front of everyone.

"I'm going to scout the lake bed and see if I can find the temple. Just hang tight until I get back, okay?"

Everyone looked at her and nodded silently. She flew off to survey the area. Link nudged Brad.

"So, are you still excited to be here? I want to know why you and Izzy were so excited about being here. Are you going to tell us or not?"

Brad looked at Izzy sadly. He then took a deep breath and faced Link.

"Me and Izzy will show you if and when we find the Water Temple. For the time being, just let it be, okay?"

Brad walked away from Link and sat down on a nearby tree stump. Link scratched his head in confusion. Why was Brad so angry? He just wanted to know what was going on. He sighed and kept watch for Valerie. Navi landed on his shoulder and whispered in his ear.

"Don't let Brad get you down, Link. He will tell us everything when he's ready. Not to worry. It's too bad about the lake. I guess Impa was right when she told us about the lake before."

Link whispered back.

"When did she tell us about the lake? I don't remember."

Navi looked at him oddly. Was she the only one that was paying attention when Impa spoke to them? She cleared her throat.

"She told us before we left for the lake. Don't you remember?"

Link shook his head.

"Sorry. I wasn't paying attention I guess. I hope Brad sheds some light on what's going on with him and Izzy. They are hiding something from us."

Charlie over heard their conversation and walked up beside Link.

"I think Navi is right, Link. He will tell us what's going on when he's ready."

He looked out at the dry lake bed and he saw a green glow. He turned to everyone.

"I think Valerie is on her way back. Let's see if she found anything."

Valerie came in for a landing. She landed on the grass. She was breathing heavily from her flight.

"Wow am I tired! I couldn't find anything high up in the air, so I flew lower to the ground. A frog mistook me for it's dinner. I barely escaped with my life."

Link's face was full of concern.

"You didn't get hurt at all, did you?"

She shook her head.

"No. Thanks for asking though. I escaped without a scratch. It may have been a different story if that frog managed to get a hold of me."

Brad stood up and walked over to Valerie and knelt down in front of her.

"I'm sorry to hear about your ordeal. Were you able to find anything?"

Valerie nodded.

"Yes I did actually. I found a lot of water. If you look out at the lake, there is the walking bridge across three islands. At the bottom of the biggest islands, there is a small amount of water. I guess it's what's left of the lake. I tried to look in the water and I saw a big gate. I think that's where the temple is."

Brad almost jumped with excitement.

"Way to go, Valerie! Can you take us there?"

She nodded.

"Sure, but can somebody please carry me? I'm still tired from my ordeal."

Charlie agreed to carry her and she led them down into the empty lake bed. They didn't have far to walk. Within minutes, the big island with the water below it could be seen by everyone. They ran up to the edge of it and looked down. A big black gate could be clearly seen under the water. There was something else that caught Link's eye. There was a big blue crystal above the gate. He shook his head.

"I can't believe this is all the water left in Lake Hylia."

A familiar voice commented behind Link and the others.

"It's quite a shame isn't it?"

Everyone turned around and shiek was standing there. Link was shocked at his sudden appearance.

"Shiek! What are you doing here?"

Shiek cleared his throat.

"I've been following you and your friends. Impa wanted me to make sure you get into the Water Temple safely. Have you figured out how to get in yet?"

Brad stepped forward.

"Me and Izzy have the solution."

Before anyone could say anything else, Brad began to unbuckle his sword and take off his tunic. Link looked at him oddly.

"Brad, What the heck are you doing? We need a plan before you start diving in!"

Brad didn't replay. He continued taking his tunic off. Afterwards, he unbuckled his boots and took them off. When he was done, he had his shorts left. He looked at everyone and blushed in embarrassment.

"Don't worry. I'm not taking my shorts off. I am about to reveal something quite amazing to you all. None of you realize it, but Izzy has an amazing power she received from the Great Fairy a few years ago. Back then, she went to the Great Fairy's fountain on an errand. She never told me the details of her visit when she returned. But apparently, the Great Fairy bestowed great power into her. I found this out one day when I was alone with her in the Lost Woods. There was a nice little pond in there and I was swimming. Suddenly, I saw something glow under the water and I wanted to dive down to investigate. I tried to dive down, but the pond was far too deep. But that didn't stop me! I kept trying to dive down to the bottom of the pond. On my fifth attempt, I almost drowned. That's when Izzy blasted me with magic. At first, I thought it didn't do anything. Until I started to change into this! Hit me, Izzy!"

Izzy began glowing bright blue and a bolt of blue energy left her and struck Brad. He grunted and gritted his teeth. Suddenly, Brad's skin began to turn very pale in color. Link gasped in alarm.

"Brad! Are you okay? What did Izzy do to you?"

He grunted and glared at Link.

"Ugh. S-stay back, L-link."

Link stayed where he was and continued to watch Brad. His skin started to get a light blue color. Brad roared in pain. Everyone gasped in shock. Something thin was growing out of his arm near his elbow. It continued to grow and get wider. It extended into two points. It resembled a fin. Link was astounded. What was Brad becoming? The same thing started to happen to his other arm. It grew out near his elbow and got wider and extended into two points. Brad gasped and looked up at Izzy.

"Ugh. Izzy, can you use your magic to numb my body like last time?"

Izzy nodded and shot him with a bolt of pink energy. Brad sighed with relief.

"Ah that's better. No more pain."

Something started to grow out of the back of Brad's head. It looked like a small fin. Within mere seconds, it started to get wider and thicker. When it was done growing, it was almost one foot in length. Brad's hair was completely gone and replaced with a new long fin. There were also gills at the side of Brad's neck. Brad's nose began to grow as well. It formed into a point and it was large and scaly. Next were Brad's eyes. They got a lot bigger and they changed into a jet black color. Finally were Brad's feet. They completely changed shape. Brad's toes were large and pointy and his feet were now webbed. Brad sighed and looked at everyone in his new form.

"Well? What do you guys think?"

Everyone, including shiek just stared at him in stunned silence. Link was first to break the silence.

"Brad! Y-your're a zora! This is incredible! So THIS is what you were hiding from us."

He nodded.

"Yes. I'm sorry about keeping this from you. This is how we are going to explore the Water Temple. We will do so as zoras! We won't have to worry about drowning at all!"

Charlie was hesitant.

"But what about my spells and Link's equipment? Are we just going to leave his equipment in a pile for our enemies to take?"

Brad shook his head.

"No we aren't. Izzy will transport them to the fairy realm. They won't be touched there and your spells should work fine."

Link was eager to be a zora. He took his tunic, set down all of his equipment, took his boots off and turned to Charlie

"Well? What are we waiting for? I want to be a zora too!"

Charlie shrugged.

"Let's do it. This might actually be fun."

Brad smiled and looked up at Izzy.

"You heard them. Hit them too! Don't forget the numbing spell. You can disable that on me now as well."

Izzy nodded and shot Link and Charlie with a bolt of blue energy and then a bolt of pink energy. Charlie's transformation was very different and quick. Being a shadow, he simply changed shape until he looked like a zora. Charlie grumbled to himself.

"I don't mind my powers, but I hate being a stupid shadow!"

Link's transformation was nearly complete. He had all the fins and his feet were reshaping. A few minutes later, Link looked just like Brad only taller. Link looked over at Charlie and snickered quietly. He was a shadow zora with glowing red eyes. Unfortunately for him, Charlie heard him and got angry.

"What are you laughing at? This isn't funny! I don't want to be shadow for the rest of my life! Isn't there any way to fix this?"

Link shrugged.

"I'm not sure, but we will ask Impa after we find whatever is causing the water drain in this lake."

Shiek walked up to Link and patted his scaly back.

"Good luck, Link. You should find Ruto in the temple somewhere. I'm glad I came here. Im all my years, I've never seen anything like that. A person transforming into a zora. I will return to the fortress and make my report to Impa."

He backed up and threw something on the ground and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Brad looked at Link and Charlie.

"Well, are we ready to figure out how to open that temple?"

Both Link and Charlie nodded. Navi flew in front of them and interrupted them.

"Sorry to butt in, but I just thought of something. How are we going to travel with you underwater? Are we going to be turned into zoras too?"

Izzy smiled at her.

"Don't be silly! I have a water breathing spell that only works on fairies. We'll be fine!"

Navi sighed.

"Well, that's a relief. Well, let's find a way into the temple."

Without warning, Link, Brad and Charlie dived into the water. Link was astounded. He was actually traveling underwater as a zora! He swam in front of the blue jewel he saw earlier. He punched it hard and suddenly, the gate opened slowly. Brad swam over and patted him on the back.

"Way to go, Link. Let's get back to the fairies and tell them you got the way opened."

They swam up to the surface of the water and floated. The three fairies flew over to them. Link gave them a thumbs up.

"I got the way opened. Being a zora is amazing. When I first arrived in this world, I never imagined I would have such an incredible adventure. Being a zora has made it even more incredible."

Izzy smiled.

"I'm glad to hear your having a good time here, Link. Me and Brad would be lost without you and Charlie. Now, I'm going to transport your things to the fairy realm. If you have need of them, I can transport them back anytime."

Izzy went over to the pile of L:ink and Brad's belongings and zapped them with a bolt of blue energy. Suddenly, they vanished. She turned to Link and smiled.

"There we are. Now, let's get inside that temple. But first, our water breathing spell."

Izzy glowed purple and shot Navi and Valerie and then herself with a bolt of purple energy. She nodded.

"There we are. We should now be safe underwater."

Link, Brad and Charlie dived underwater, along with Nav, Izzy and Valerie and entered the Water Temple.

Author's notes.

There we are. My first transformation. That was harder than I thought it was going to be. I'm really starting to wish I could actually play this as a game. Who's with me? Lol This would be an amazing version of Ocarina of Time in my opinion.


End file.
